Eternally, Impossibly, Yours
by sprinklesoverglass
Summary: A new PenPal program at Hogwarts brings together an unlikely couple. After baring their souls to each other, they each discover their mortal enemy on the opposite end. Will they make it to peace, or will they tear each other apart?HGDM, rr my summaries su
1. Back to School

**This is a revised version of my first chapter of my first story on ff.n. :)**

**Looking back, I see a lot of stuff I want to cut out. But there's nothing I could cut out without having to alter every chapter, so I guess I'll just have to deal.**

**And, my friend Paige (namesake for...well, Paige) got all pissed at me when I told her I based a character off of her. It was funny, but she told me I'm not allowed to do that anymore. So now I just use the name, because, you've got to admit, it's a cool name.**

* * *

"Hello, students, and welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!" Professor Dumbledore greeted his students.

"Before our feast begins, I ask you to spare me a few moments. First, I would like to let you all know that we are starting a new assignment." Hermione Granger straightened a little in her seat, trying to hear Dumbledore clearly. Ron noticed this and rolled his eyes, grinning.

"Trust 'Mione to get off on a 'new assignment'!" Ron whispered, causing Harry to snort into his plate, and Ginny and Paige to collapse in silent giggles. Paige threw her an apologetic look, but didn't stop laughing. Ron glanced at Paige and looked slightly please with himself.

"Ha ha, you guys. I'll sit by and laugh when you all fail!" the girl hissed back, and turned back around, aware they were still laughing behind me. I huffed and went back to listening to Dumbledore, who was almost finished explaining the project.

"—and you will have to write this person at least once a week. They will be your Pen Pal and mentor for this school year, and hopefully you will be of use to each other. We will be assigning you an owl that knows each of your locations, so you will not recognize the owl of the other person. It is your choice if you would like to meet this person, but you must first go a month being anonymous. That is all I ask. Oh, and there will be no pairings in the same house. On a less graded note, we are considering holding a few dances this year. Now, without further ado, your meal…" he said, and the gold platters suddenly filled with food. Ginny, Paige, Ron, and Harry had all filled up their plates and were stuffing their faces, but I was still thinking about the project.

Hermione groaned. It wasn't even educational!

"So, Hermy, whaddaya think of the new project?" Paige asked.

"Ja! Uh funk ut go we fin!" Ron said, spraying them all with food.

"Ugh. Gross," Ginny said, wiping her face with her napkin. Ron swallowed his fist-sized bite of spaghetti and gulped down some pumpkin juice, wiping his mouth with his fist.

"This is going to suck!" Ron said. "What if I get paired with, like, Malfoy or something?" Harry laughed.

"Yeah, or Parkinson!" he said, glancing over at the Slytherin table. Malfoy scowled at them, and Parkinson whispered something in his ear and pointed at them, laughing shrilly before pulling his face towards hers. She attacked his mouth like a slobbering beast, and the Gryffindors turned slightly green and turned away quickly.

* * *

"Pansy, get off! You kiss like a mudblood!" the boy said, pushing her off his lap and wiping his tongue on my napkin, smirking at the jeers and grins his comment received.

He stole a glance down the table to see if anyone wasn't laughing. Which, predictably, they all were.

"So…" he started. "Anyone gonna tell me what's been going on?"

They all knew that he was just going to tune out, but just in case he decided to listen for once, they all started talking at once. Draco let his eyes wander over the Great Hall, looking at all of his peers, the other students, people he'd known and picked on for years.

His eyes came to a rest on Granger. Same old bushy hair, same old eager expression as she listened to the headmaster. But there was a kind of...light in her eyes, if you will, that she hadn't had before. A happiness, a sense of self. It was intriuging.

He tore his eyes away from her and looked at the person next to her.

Ah, of course. Paige and Hermione had been best friends--it was them and Potter and Weasley--since their first year. He smiled. Paige had always been good looking. When his father discovered that her parents weren't Death Eaters, which he had assumed they were because they were extremely wealthy, he had forbidden Draco to hang out with her. But before that, they had been best friends. She was constantly looking for adventure and getting in trouble, and he loved to be the rescuer, so they fit perfectly. Her parents had often had him over for dinner, or the weekend, when his parents were out of town on "business".

He inwardly laughed when he noticed her hair-she was a metamorphmagus, so she constantly changed it. But she usually just changed the color, and she had a rule against changing her body parts. Of course, she never had to worry about that. Her features were delicate, but had a distinct edge to them at the same time. She had hazel eyes flecked with a deep green. He nose was small and had that little boop at the end of it. She had a few freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks, and her lips were full and shaped like a dolls. At the moment, her hair was short and choppy, with blonde bangs and the rest her natural, pure black.

She was tall and lean, muscular from Quidditch. She was as good a beater as the Weasley twins put together, and she played with all she had. She was prone to screwing off, but not when it came to Quidditch.

She was smiling and laughing with her friends, as if everything were perfect. As if she hadn't lost her best friend only a few years previously.

'Bitch.' Draco thought. OK, so maybe he was a little bitter over the fact that she seemed to want no attachment to him after all they had done together.

He used to think he had a crush on her, when he was about nine, but he soon realized that they were better as friends. He'd loved her, that was for sure. He'd loved her like a sister, though, not like a, well, lover. He still did, and he knew it in his heart, but he refused to admit it. He didn't want to get a beating for holding on to something from the past. So he ignored it when he got the sudden desire to go hug her and be friends again.

* * *

'What a lame project. Curse house-unity. Knowing my luck, _I'll_ get paired with one of the Slytherins!' the Gryffindor girl thought. She turned around in her seat, looking over the rest of the hall. No one had really changed all that much. Ernie MacMillon, looking as stiff as ever. Cho Chang-the new head girl? No way! And the Slytherins…

'Wow, Pansy's face has kind of…desquashed? She's actually not bad looking…'

She kept moving along the table. There was Malfoy-

'Merlin...' she thought, blushing. He had changed--his face, which had already lost it's rat-like quality, had grown slightly more chiseled. His white blonde hair way pushed back out of his face, but lacking gel. He actually looked...good.

'Did I just think that?' the girl thought, blushing even more. She could tell even from across the hall that he had nice, broad shoulders, and had grown taller. She blinked, suddenly. 'What am I doing?' she reprimanded herself, and turned back to her friends.

"Hemmo?" Paige asked. "Why are you blushing?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, trying to focus on her friends.

"Why do you guys insist on calling me such weird names? It's Her-My-Oh-Knee. Not Hemmo. Not Hermy. Not Mione," she said, taking her frustation at herself out on her friends. Ron laughed.

"What's up your ass? And you didn't seem to mind Darling Vicky calling you those names, did you?" he said loudly, looking mock-offended.

Hermione sighed and stood up. Ginny did too, and, after a severe look from the younger girl, Paige got up too, with one last, sad look at her pumpkin pie.

As they were walking out of the hall, Hermione saw Paige give Malfoy an almost undetectable little wave, and Malfoy smiled a little back.

"Wow, Malfoy's looking decent this year, isn't he?" Ginny said into her ear once they reached the common room. Hermione felt the heat creep up into her cheeks and looked away, trying to hide it.

"Erm…if you like that whole 'evil git' type thing, I guess," Hermione said, still looking away. Ginny laughed.

"No way! That's why you blushed during dinner! You fancy Malfoy! Oh Merlin! Wait till Paige hears this!" Ginny said, smirking. Hermione, blushing scarlet, turned back around towards Ginny.

"Ginevra Weasley, you will not say anything to anyone! Especially Paige! And I do not like him! Am I not allowed to appreciate what satisfies the eye, though?" she said, her eyes darting around the room for people who might be listening. She glanced over at Paige anxiously. Luckily, Paige was too busy snogging Seamus to listen to what they were talking about.

"Wow, Paige always manages to bag the hot guys. Or the not hot guys, and make them look hot. I'm so jealous!" Ginny said, 'appreciating' Seamus for the first time. His floppy chestnut hair had golden sun streaks from being outside all summer, and he was tall and muscular. He even managed to make his freckles work.

"I never knew he was so…fanciable…" Ginny breathed. "That's one of Paige's recyclables I'll take advantage of. But I'll bet he's not good enough for you. Nothing short of Malfoy, resident Adonis of Hogwarts, will work for Hermione. Lucky bitch, you could probably get him."

Hermione shook her head.

"What are you talking about? Malfoy would never be into me. Not that I would want him to be," she added quickly. Ginny nodded.

"Uh huh, sure. We'll see."


	2. The First Exchange

Hermione's Point of View 

Hermione kicked the door of her dorm opened and threw herself on her bed, which was the closest to the door. She heard a muffled '_Hoot' _coming from under her and jumped up, looking at the handsome barn owl. The tag on its leg read 'Aries'.

"Oh yeah, that project. I need to take my mind off Malfoy. I do _not _like him," the Gryffindor told herself firmly. She smiled at the owl, getting no response of course, and took a quill and parchment out of her book bag. Leaned against the headboard of her bed and began to write.

_Dear Someone,_

_I suppose I'll write first, if I have the owl, eh? Not to burden you_

_with all of my troubles—well, that's what this program is for, so_

_I'll apologize ahead of time. I think I might like this guy—let's call_

_him Bob. (That's not really his name.) I'm really not _supposed_ to _

_like this guy, but I can't help it. I think that I don't really like _

_him, just his good looks. But I don't know if even I believe _

_myself. Tell me that I don't like him. Tell me it's not possible _

_to like someone so impossibly wrong for you._

_Sincerely,_

_Violet Otter  
_

**A/N-I am entirely uncreative when it comes to names. I just took one of my favorite colors and Hermione's patronus to make a name. I apologize.**

Hermione attached the letter to Aries' leg and watched him fly out the window. She lay back down on her bed, thinking. '_I can't _really_ like Malfoy, can I? He's too evil. I know that. He calls me Mudblood. He's probably a Death Eater, for heaven's sake! He and Harry are mortal enemies. Harry would kill me if he found out! Of course, he can't be too bad, if he used to be friends with Paige, right? She's a great person. Of course, they were only 9 at the time…Oh, Merlin. What am I going to do? I like Draco Malfoy!'_

Draco's Point of View 

Draco had only just got away from Pansy. He had told her that he was feeling sick and that he needed to go lie down. It was half true—he definitely felt sick from being slobbered on by her all evening. Yes, he had to admit, she had gotten better looking. But that didn't make her a better _person._ Draco shook his head. _'What am I doing? Good person? What? She's easy to bed! I'm the Slytherin King! Isn't that all I should care about! And what was with me thinking about Granger all evening? She does look great. And she's actually nice. But…No! It couldn't be…'_ Draco tried to clear his head of all these treacherous thoughts. He lay back on his pillow, arms folded under his head, looking at the ceiling.

All of a sudden, and owl flies through the open window and lands on his stomach. He sits up, startled, and pushed the owl off.

"Did that animal just land on me? How tactless. I'll bet that great oaf, Hagrid, trained these stupid things," he muttered to himself. He looked back at the owl and noticed a letter on its leg, and a tag that read 'Aries'. "Oh, yeah, that stupid project thing. Well, I guess I might actually be able to use someone to talk to right now. And it's not like they know who I am…"

He grabbed the letter and pulled it off the owls leg.

_Dear Someone,_

_I suppose I'll write first, if I have the owl, eh? Not to burden you_

_with all of my troubles—well, that's what this program is for, so_

_I'll apologize ahead of time. I think I might like this guy—let's call_

_him Bob. (That's not really his name.) I'm really not _supposed_ to _

_like this guy, but I can't help it. I think that I don't really like _

_him, just his good looks. But I don't know if even I believe _

_myself. Tell me that I don't like him. Tell me it's not possible _

_to like someone so impossibly wrong for you._

_Sincerely,_

Violet Otter 

"Good job not burdening me with your troubles, then," he said sarcastically, but didn't really mind. If she wanted to share her feelings, it made it easier for him to do it without looking dumb. Without being the first to cross that line. Or any, really.

_Dear Violet Otter,_

_I guess, yeah, that made sense. Since, to be honest, there was no owl waiting for me when I got back to my room. It's ok to burden me. Just don't get all pissy when I follow suit. No need to apologize. I know how you feel about 'Bob'.(I figured that wasn't his name, seeing as there is no one at Hogwarts named Bob. See how perceptive I am? Go me.) I am kind of in the same situation. Call her Jane. I can't like her, because she is my complete opposite in too many ways to list. And my friends would give me hell about it. But I can't get her out of my head. Odd. It's possible, trust me. And at least you don't have a father harping on you to follow in his footsteps when what you want to do is completely different._

_Sincerely,_

_Silver Dragon_

Draco attached the note to Aries' leg and pushed him off his bed. _'Wow, writing all that felt pretty good. It's cool to finally get it all out. Maybe I should start to keep a journal…'_ at this, Draco slapped himself.

"Getting into that kinky shit, now are we, Drake?" came a voice from the door. Draco started, looking up. The voice continued, "It's not my dig, but do what you gotta, I guess."

Draco watched his best friend, Samuel Spiel, walk to the bed across from his own. He sat down and pulled out two pieces of parchment. Draco sighed.

"At least I have the opportunity to be into anything besides my hand, Sam," he said. Sam laughed. _  
_

"True dat. True dat," Sam said. "Of course, I don't just bed anyone. I'm waiting until it feels right."

Sam looked down and adjusted his baggy leather jacket. This jacket was trademark Sam Spiel. When he wasn't in robes, he was wearing it. It had punk and ska band names, like Operation Ivy, Rancid, Sublime, The Misfits, Bones Brigade, etc. written on it in white out and sharpie, and it had small silver studs dotted all over it, and in lines along the collar and cuffs. His longish, flaxen-gray hair hung in his bright blue eyes. He looked back up and smiled.

"I'm a virgin, true, but I also don't have bitched like Pansy all over me all the time." Draco had to nod.

"Yeah, I see your point. So, why the fuck don't you ever buy new clothes? I know you've got the money. You live near me and Paige. Which means you're either rich or powerful. And your parents are some of the most volatile people I've ever met."

Sam laughed.

"Got my reasons. Speaking of, Paige is hot. God, damn, you know I've liked her since third year when she beat my ass at Quidditch. And she wasn't even on the team. I know you used to be friends. Wanna hook me up, _finally_?" Sam asked. He and Draco had had this conversation many times. He already knew the answer.

"No."

"Dude!" Sam shouted, making a rude gesture at Draco. "You dick. You know you could."

Draco nodded.

"I could. But I don't feel like it." He said. He knew that even though he and Paige weren't friends anymore, she wouldn't refuse him a favor. Possibly the only person she would refuse a favor was the Dark Lord. "Why don't you just ask her out? There's no way she'd say no. Too nice."

Sam shook his head.

"Pity date? No way. Hey, look at my letters from the project."

_Someone,_

_It's going to be pretty obvious who I am. I'm not big on hiding things, nor am I very mysterious. I don't know why I got the first owl. Is it's name really Pinky? What a dumb name._

_I hope you didn't name this owl._

_Anyway, I don't really know what to talk about. So, I guess I'll talk to you later._

_  
Later,_

_Prince of Punks_

Draco grinned. He was totally obvious. He was the 'Prince of Punks'. The group of punks or posers in this school looked up to Sam like he was god. Sam didn't solicite it either. He was just himself, and he wasn't trying to be anything. He called himself 'Prince of Punks' when he was mocking himself or his followers.

_Dear Prince of Punks_

_(AKA Samuel Spiel)_

_  
You are SO obvious! Haha. Tell Draco I say hi._

_I don't really know what to say either. Now that I know who you _are

_This is going to be an interesting relationship, eh?_

_I'm sure we'll figure out what to talk about eventually._

_Conversation starter?_

_Favorite song by Operation Ivy. I like Big City._

_Love,_

_Gabsadd_

Draco laughed.

"She's right. You are obvious. And, I know who it is. But I'm not going to tell you."

"Tell me, you asshole." Sam growled.

"Ok, dude, I know your stealth powers and connections. Find out who Violet Otter is and I'll tell you who Gabsadd is. And what Gabsadd stands for. Deal?" Draco offered. Sam nodded and held out his hand.

They shook on it.


	3. Becoming Attached

Hermione woke up the next morning with a feeling of dread. Whatever had possessed her to share her secrets with some stranger had deserted her.

'_Fudge…stupid vulnerability…remind me to never like my best friends—no, _my_—worst enemy again. No, at all. I wonder if I've gotten a response yet?' _the brunette thought. She sat up in bed, and let her legs fall over the side. She stretched, yawning loudly, and sat up, glancing at her clock. _'8 AM? At least an hour until Harry and Ron are up, and Paige can't be expected until noon. Thank Merlin it's a Saturday.'_

Suddenly, the girl noticed the owl, Aries, sitting on one of her bedposts. She smiled slightly, anxious, and sat back down on her bed, untying the letter.

_Dear Violet Otter,_

_I guess, yeah, that made sense. Since, to be honest, there was no owl waiting for me when I got back to my room. It's ok to burden me. Just don't get all pissy when I follow suit. No need to apologize. I know how you feel about 'Bob'.(I figured that wasn't his name, seeing as there is no one at Hogwarts named Bob. See how perceptive I am? Go me.) I am kind of in the same situation. Call her Jane. I can't like her, because she is my complete opposite in too many ways to list. And my friends would give me hell about it. But I can't get her out of my head. Odd. It's possible, trust me. And at least you don't have a father harping on you to follow in his footsteps when what you want to do is completely different._

_Sincerely,_

_Silver Dragon_

Hermione laughed and started writing.

* * *

**Draco's Point of View**

"Owww…shit…What the bloody hell was that?" Draco moaned, opening his eyes. The first thing he saw was Quidditch Through the Ages. He sat up quickly, looking around and rubbing his head.

"Ow! Fuck!" he groaned. He was sitting on the floor, next to his bed, wrapped in a blanket. There was a huge bump on his head, he assumed from his book. He grunted and pulled himself up onto his bed, rubbing his eyes.

'_8 A-fucking-M?' _Draco thought, pulling off his blanket, which was twisted around his waist. He rolled his eyes. _'Of course. Because everything is going totally my way this year already, right? Initiation at the end of the year…liking a mudblood…waking up at 8 o'clock in the morning…this is really my year. Next, I'll be set up on a blind date with Potter.' _

He laughed bitterly at the thought and lay back down on his bed. He glanced over at Sam, who wouldn't be up for quite a few more hours.

'_Lucky bitch.'_ He thought jealously. He glanced at Crabbe and Goyle's beds. _'Probably eating. They're so predictable.'_ He looked over at his bedside table and saw the Hogwarts crest. The Gryffindor Lion made him think of Hermione.

'_How can I like her? I can't. It's impossible. The Violet Otter is right. It is impossible. I don't know _what_ possessed me to pour my fucking failure-of-a-pureblood soul out to her. Assuming it is a her. I hope I'm not talking to some gay guy…Merlin, what if I am? Anyway…I can't really like her. There is no humanly possible way for someone like _me _to be attracted to someone like her. At least, not for anything more than entertainment. That's it! I must just want her for the challenge. It's because…if I can get her…I can get anyone…right? That's gotta be right…'_ he nodded to himself, feeling slightly better. He sat up, straightening out his boxers. He then noticed the owl sitting on Sam's bedpost. He recognized it as Aries after a minute and strode over to it, pulling the letter off it's leg. He sat back down on his bed, opened the letter, and read.

_Dear Silver Dragon,_

_Wow, you are perceptive! Hope that makes you feel _

_good about yourself. Anyway, this Jane character._

_Maybe you should tell her how you feel? It might not _

_seem as impossible if she feels the same way._

_Just a suggestion. Anyway, how do you know _

_I don't have my father riding me about being something_

_I don't want to be? OK, you were right. I don't._

_But I could! Of course, are you expected to be_

_perfect all the time? I'll bet it's ok for you to mess up _

_sometimes, or pull pranks on people, without having them _

_gaping at you and acting like it's the end of the world._

_You know, sometimes I just wish I could do something _

_to shock them, something to make them realize that_

_I'm not perfect. That I'm just like everyone else._

_Sincerely, VO_

_P.S.: Do you like how I'm _already_ getting lazy about my name? Haha._

Draco laughed. He liked this girl. She was funny. He pulled out a spare bit of parchment and a quill, and sat down, already thinking of what to write.

_Dear VO,_

_As long as you get to be lazy, I think I will be too. And yes, I do feel good about myself, thankyouverymuch! And no, I can't tell this girl how I feel. She would _Avada_ me on the spot. And I know she's capable. She's capable of pretty much anything. So, yes, it is impossible. And, ok, I was just assuming your dad didn't ride you. (Not in that way.) Because dad's don't usually ride (Not in that way) their little girls. You are a girl, right? I'm not talking to some queer, am I? And I was correct. So ha! About this perfection thing: Maybe you should go out with this sworn enemy guy, that would shock them, no?_

_Write back soon,_

_SD_

Draco tied the letter to Aries' foot and carried him to the window, throwing the owl out the window. He glanced back over at Sam, who was still sound asleep, moaning something along the lines of:

"Oooh…Paige…that's good…oooh, yeah…oooh…"

Just to be spiteful, Draco walks over to his bed and grabs his wand. He had to take his anger out on someone. Why not his best friend?

Draco pulled on a pair of pants over his boxers, not bothering to put a shirt on, and went into the bathroom, grinning, and filled the tub up with freezing cold water. He strode back into his room, grabbed his wand, and muttered, _"Mobilicorpus!"_ over Sam.

Draco walked behind Sam, making sure not to let his feet hit the ground and wake him.

_Splash!_

Suddenly, Sam jerked up, wide awake. He glared up at Draco and pulled off his freezing, soaked white t-shirt, flinging it at him.

"Asshole. What was that for?" Sam said angrily, standing up and jumping out of the tub, pulling a towel around him.

Draco motioned to the region just below his belt, grinning evilly.

"You needed it. I didn't know a simple dream about little Paigey had that affect on you!" he said, still grinning. He pulled the shirt off his head, dropped it on the floor, and went back into his dorm, unable to stifle his laughter.

* * *

**A/N- I want to thank the people who have left me reviews. :) :)!**

**It was kind of hard to keep them in character during this one, but I tried!**

**Thanks,**

**S.o.G**

**(haha, soggy! Like sam's shirt…and his boxers:P)**


	4. Dreams from an Alternate Universe

Chapter four: Dreams from an Alternate Universe

Hermione closed the door to the bathroom and leaned against it, thinking. Even though she had only had one letter, she liked this Silver Dragon guy.

'_I think I should know who that is. But my stupid brain already isn't functioning properly, why should I expect it to work at all? I cannot believe that I…like…I do NOT like Malfoy! It must have been the food. Something wrong with it. Those stupid house-elves are messing with the food. NO! NO! The house-elves are innocent, wonderful creatures who have been beaten into submission by evil wizards. It is not their fault. But then, what was it…?'_

Hermione shook her head, trying to clear her mind. She banished all thoughts of Malfoy and house-elves from her mind. (At least she _succeeded_ at the latter.) She stripped off her tank top and boxer shorts and turned on the shower, trying to focus on the sound of the water and failing dismally.

As she stepped into the water, she thought of something she could do to take her mind off Malfoy.

'_Think of fooling around with Ron! That's always a laugh…'_ she thought, smiling bitterly. _'Ok, how about we're doing it in my dream house. Beautiful, big black comforter with white silk sheets. Deep, plush black carpet and white walls. Poor Ron, won't know what to do!'_ She actually laughed at the thought of Ron.

Hermione's Dream 

_Hermione takes Ron by the hand and leads him through the door to her bedroom. She jumps onto the bed and starts taking off her shirt. Ron gapes, having never seen anything but Harry's ass before—_Hermione laughed out loud at her audacity—_and goes red. Hermoine grabs him around the neck and pulls him to her. She presses her mouth to his exaggeratedly, knowing he would be confused. His tongue slips into her mouth and she lets out a moan, surprising even herself. She runs her hands along his chest and back and lets him do as he wishes with her. He massages her lightly and moves down, placing kisses along her jawline, down her throat, and onto her chest. He reaches up her skirt as she runs her hands through his silky, blonde hair—_suddenly Hermione stops.

'_When did Ron turn into _Malfoy_!' _she asked herself angrily.

'_Probably about the time it started to feel good…'_ the girl answered herself sadly, and reached down and turned the faucet on cold.

**Draco's Point of View**

Draco went back into his dorm and lay on his bed, drawing the curtains closed around them. He was thinking of Hermione, although he didn't want to admit it.

'_Well, if you could say picturing her naked is the same as thinking about her. It's not like I fancy her. I just think she's turned hot. That is _it._'_ He told himself firmly.

'_I know how to cool down…think of Pansy naked!'_ he told himself reasonably. He had seen it quite a few times, though the sight sickened him.

_**Draco's Cool-Down Exercises(gone terribly awry)**_

_Pansy pulled off her too-tight blouse and pushed her too-short skirt down gracelessly. She smiled and danced a little, like she had done so many times before. Her rolls of fat jiggled mercilessly, and her malicious, pug-like face was broken out into a wide, toothy grin. Thanks to her fake tan, she looked like a Jack-o-Lantern with a body. Suddenly, there was a bright, red-and-gold light around her. Her body lengthened, became naturally tan, and perfect. Her short, black bob grew into a chocolate-colored mass of curly tendrils. Her evil, pig-like black eyes were soon a color matching her new hair. To his grief, she looked embarrassed and pulled all of her clothes back on, and padded over to the bed where Draco sat. She smiled warmly at him and settled next to him, snuggling into his chest. He smiled back and put his arm around her, resting his head on hers, breathing in the her scent…_

Suddenly, Draco jerked awake. He looked around him, frightened he was in some sort of alterate universe.

'_No! I did not just have a…_romantic_ dream about Mudblood Granger. No! I want her for her body. For the challenge. For the…anything but for herself! I do NOT just want to _snuggle_ with her! I want to make her beg me to bed her. I want the power. Not the warm feeling that I did NOT just get from that dream! WHAT is happening to me! Why am I acting this way! This is insane!'_ He thought frantically, worriedly. He opened his curtains slowly, silently praying no one was there.

At first he saw no one, so he got out of bed cautiously. Suddenly, a sound came from behind him.

"Finally out of bed, lover boy?" he heard his best friend ask. He turned around slowly, dreading what he was about to see.

He was correct to be afraid, and knew so immediately. Sam wore a triumphant grin on his face and was holding what appeared to be a voice recorder.

"Yep. Got it all here. I'll give the recorder to you though. 'Cause I'm not evil, like you." The boy said, pulling on his leather jacket.

Draco reached out to make a grab for the recorder.

"Give it here! I can't believe you…I just…I can't…You evil dick!" the blonde boy sputtered. He knew that they were best friends, but in Slytherin, that merely meant that they spared you much of their evil doings. They weren't above blackmailing their best friends. Not in the slightest. Draco, again, was making a correct assumption.

"On one condition. Tell me who Gabsadd is. You don't get this 'til you tell." The punk boy said. Draco nodded.

"Gabsadd is Paige. Gabsadd means Great Aswalian Ball Sack Arapolis Duck Dog. Now, give the damn thing here!" the Slytherin King snarled.

The leather clad boy tossed the recorder to Draco and headed for the door. He paused at the entrance.

"Wanna play some Quidditch?" he asked.

"Yeah, of course. Just one more thing. Does this mean you aren't telling me who Violet Otter is anymore?" He asked, trying to sound like it didn't really matter to him and failing.

Sam nodded, turning around to grab his broom.

"Race you to the pitch."

**Thanks for the reviews on three! I love you!**

**Thanks**

**Soggy**


	5. A Compromise

Across the school from where Draco and Sam were starting a quidditch game, Hermione was pulling on a pair of jeans and a pink tee shirt, getting ready to go do some last-minute preparatory reading to start off the new term.

She bounded down the stairs, the latest Arithmancy textbook secured under her arm. Just as she was settling on the couch, a hissing ginger blur came streaking down the steps to the girls dormitory. She could faintly hear yelling, and next minute, Paige came stumbling down the stair, pulling her short, blue hair into a messy ponytail. She rubbed her eyes, cursing.

"Fucking cat. Hermione, look what that fucking dumbass shoerag did to me. Fucking animal." Paige pulled up her shirt to show Hermione two long, thin gashes on her stomach.

At that second, Harry and Ron decided to join the party. They saw Paige lifting up her shirt and laughed.

"Wow, Paige, can we have a look too?" Ron said, laughing. "I didn't know you were into that kind of thing…you know, girls?"

Harry laughed. Paige turned around slowly, keeping her shirt up.

"Look what that ugly piece of shit cat did to me. I was sleeping until that retard woke me up. I can't believe I'm up at fucking 9 AM on a Saturday. God dammit!" she swore angrily.

"See, Hermione? I always knew that cat was evil." Ron said. Harry and Hermione glared at him.

"Shutup, Ron. It's thanks to that cat that Sirius…" Harry trailed off, and both Ron and Paige immediately regretted badmouthing Crookshanks.

"Sorry, Harry. I didn't mean…" Ron started. Paige nodded.

"As long as you're up too, Paige, wanna go play some Quidditch? I'm captain this year, so I know I'm still on the team, but Ron wants to practice beating too. That's what he's trying out for." Harry said.

"Yeah, that sounds fun. I need to get back on the broomstick, anyway. Mom and Dad grounded me over the summer, so I haven't played in a while. 'Mi, wanna watch?" Paige asked.

"Yeah, sure. Aren't you going to…y'know…brush your hair or anything? Or put on some real pants?" Paige looked down at her plaid pajama pants and shook her head.

"Nah. It's just Quidditch. Don't need to be pretty for it." Ron laughed.

"As if you ever get ready for anything anyways, Paige, and you always manage to look stunning," Harry said truthfully. "Go grab your broom, lets hurry before anyone else gets there."

Paige nodded and ran up the steps, not bothering to be quiet for Parvati and Lavender. She grabbed her new Firebolt and ran back down the stairs.

"I'll be there in a few minutes, OK guys? I just have to write…do something really fast, ok? Meet you down there." Hermione said, standing up. They all nodded.

"Race you to the pitch." Paige said, mounting her broom.

Draco's Point of View 

Draco was about to hurl the quaffle through the left hoop of the hoop when he saw the Gryffindors hurtling out of the castle on their brooms, Filch running after them, cursing and threatening them with disembowelment.

He became so distracted looking for Hermione and reprimanding himself at the same time for doing it, he missed the hoop by several feet. Sam gave him an evil looked and zoomed off after it, not managing to catch it before it hit the ground.

The Slytherins descended to the ground and dismounted their brooms.

"Run along, Potter. The pitch is being used by _real _Quidditch players right now, sorry." Draco snarled, after realizing Hermione wasn't there.

'_No, not Hermione. Granger. Or, more preferably, Mudblood.'_ He scolded himself.

"See you haven't brought your mudblood girlfriend along to watch you play Quidditch, Weasley. What, afraid you'll embarrass yourself? I would be, if I played like you did." Draco said, grinning maliciously and humming the tune to his song, 'Weasly is our King'.

Ron went scarlet and started towards Malfoy, but Paige grabbed him by the back of the robes.

"And, Potter, I wanted to let you know, I found some old Quidditch pictures from Snape's photo albums. Your dad was almost as shitty of a Quidditch player as you are! I didn't even know that was possible! Well, until I saw Weasley." Draco said, smiling coolly. He could hear Sam trying to stifle his laughter behind him. He didn't want to seem cold-hearted in front of Paige.

He was failing pathetically.

Harry's eyes narrowed and he tried to launch himself at Harry, but Paige grabbed him by the back of the robes too.

"God, guys, I can't hold much more weight!" Paige panted, still restraining them.

"Good. Then let us go!" Ron growled, and Harry pulled harder on her, straining to get to Malfoy. Malfoy smiled.

"Good to see one of you has some sense. Paige, why aren't you a Slytherin?" Malfoy asked, looking interested.

"Shutup, Malfoy. Do you have to continuously provoke them?" She said angrily.

"Yep, I do. It's just so much fun. But if you haven't noticed, I kindly spare you. Hey, I have an idea. Instead of letting them try to beat me up and embarrassing themselves, let's play some Quidditch."

Meanwhile, Hermione… 

Back in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione was reading her newest letter from the Silver Dragon. Little did she know, out her window a ways, her best friends were verbally fighting with her new Pen Pal.

_Dear VO,_

_As long as you get to be lazy, I think I will be too. And yes, I do feel good about myself, thankyouverymuch! And no, I can't tell this girl how I feel. She would _Avada_ me on the spot. And I know she's capable. She's capable of pretty much anything. So, yes, it is impossible. And, ok, I was just assuming your dad didn't ride you. (Not in that way.) Because dad's don't usually ride (Not in that way) their little girls. You are a girl, right? I'm not talking to some queer, am I? And I was correct. So ha! About this perfection thing: Maybe you should go out with this sworn enemy guy, that would shock them, no?_

_Write back soon,_

_SD_

Hermione smiled. Well, she now had three clues to who this guy was. He had a controlling father, he had a sick mind, and he was a homophobe. He was getting there.

_Dear SD,_

_Good! We can be lazy together. I only have a minute to _

_write this letter, so don't mind if it's short. Also, now I know _

_that your girl is either very intelligent, or very evil._

_That's not much of a hint. Because a lot of girls in this _

_school are either intelligent or evil. Well, ok, I can't actually _

_think of that many supremely intelligent ones._

_Or particularly evil ones, at that. I can think of a few, though…_

_And no, my dad doesn't ride me. You incredibly sick person._

_(!) Yes, I am a girl. That really narrows down the stakes, eh?_

_Wow. I had actually never thought of that. That would definitely _

_shock them. But they would also hate me. So yeah, I don't know if_

_I could do that. And it's not like he likes me at all._

_Remember, sworn enemies? If only, if only._

_Love,_

_VO_

Hermione smiled at the letter and tied it to Aries' leg, wondering if anyone besides them had already sent five letters between them by the morning after they found out about the project. She walked down to the pitch, getting there just as the rivals were starting their game.

Hermione walked up the stairs and sat in the bleachers, seemingly unnoticed. Well, she thought she saw Draco—_'Not Draco. Who is Draco? No. Malfoy. Or evil git. That works too. Incredibly good-looking evil git…'—_stare at her for a few seconds, and glance at her continually, but she persuaded herself it was her over-active imagination working with her wishful thinking.

She honestly had no idea what was going on in the game, so she tried to feign interest and look at Draco as little as possible, which turned out to be no small feat.

**Draco's Point of View**

Draco had just let the snitch out for himself and Harry when he noticed Hermione in the stands. He stared openly at her for a few seconds, admiring the way the wind blew her hair and her cheeks were rosy, before shaking his head and zooming off to the other end of the pitch, trying to resist the urge to look back.

He was playing for shit because he kept glancing at her every few minutes.

'_Come on, Draco, don't let her get the best of you. She's a fucking mudblood. Don't let Potter beat you because some stupid mudblood is sitting in the stands! Even if she does look like Christmas and butterbeer and everything good all rolled into a beautiful ball. Which she doesn't! At all! C'mon, focus!'_ he scolded himself, looking everywhere for the snitch.

Suddenly, Harry went into a dive. He followed, knowing he must have seen the snitch near the ground. Suddenly, about a foot from the ground, Harry pulled out of the dive, leaving a disoriented, pissed off Draco hurtling towards the grass.

He heard his crash, a sickening _thud_, before he felt the pain. And, even worse than the pain, the embarrassment. He glanced up at Hermione and saw her leaning over the rail, looking at him anxiously. Suddenly, she sat back down, and he told himself he had imagined her reacting at all.

'_She doesn't care about you, you asshole. You call her mudblood—which is what she _is_!—every chance you get!'_

He pulled himself off the ground and wiped his face. He felt blood. It was coming from his nose. His fingers brushed over his nose.

"Ow! Shit!" he said, wincing. He knew that his nose was broken, but he could barely see through all of the blood, and he knew Sam wasn't about to forfeit the game—and his chance to talk to Paige—just to take him to the hospital wing.

'_Should I just sit here until they're done? I'll probably die of blood loss by then. Like when that stupid chicken attacked me. Again, Potters fault.'_ He thought moodily.

Suddenly, he felt someone pulling him up. He could vaguely hear a sweet, feminine voice yelling from next to him.

"Hey, Harry! Paige! Ron! I'm gonna take him to the hospital wing!" the voice shouted.

"But _why?"_ that was Potter.

"Oh, leave it, guys. He can't get there by himself, and I don't see Sam jumping off his broom to take him. Leave him to 'Mione, lets just keep playing. She's too nice to just leave him, and you know it." He could tell that was Paige.

"He's such an _asshole_, though!" this, from the Weasel King!

"Wanna quit because you know you're gonna lose, Weasely? Chickenshit!" that was from Sam. "Let's just play."

"Yeah, come off it, guys." Again, Paige.

He could hear them abandon the issue and go back to playing. Hermione pulled his arm around her shoulders and grab him around the waist, half-dragging him up to the castle.

"Sorry Malfoy. I wouldn't want to _touch_ you, but I forgot my wand." He heard Hermione say. His head was clearing up now.

"Yeah, 'cause I really want a Gryf—I mean, a mudblood touching me." Draco only just remembered to throw in his favorite slang term. He didn't even really want to call her that. What he really wanted was to take her in his arms and—

'_Rip her clothes off and make her beg for it. I do NOT want to hug her. That's so queer.'_

"Oh, yeah, that really makes me want to help your pathetic ass out, you ugly little _ferret_." She retorted angrily, stopping.

"OK, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He said. She _hmph_ed, but started moving again, propping him up against he. He had to admit, it felt good. You know, besides the fact that blood was pouring from his face and getting all over his favorite old plain white shirt, the one his mom hated so much.

"Here, how about this. I have an offer to make." He said, pretending like he needed more help then he actually did, and leaning against her more.

"W-what?" she asked, struggling under this additional weight.

"I'll stop calling you mudblood if you call of Scarhead and Weaselface. Make them stop riding me about that whole fucking stupid ferret thing." Said Draco.

The 'riding' comment stirred something in Hermione's mind, but she waved it off.

'_Silver Dragon couldn't possibly be Dra—Malfoy. No way.'_

"Y-you're not bull-crapping me, are you?" panted Hermione.

"Not at all. I'm so fucking tired of your shit. It wasn't _my_ fault that bastard turned me into a ferret."

"Yes, it was! You were about to curse Harry!" she sounded exasperated, as if the fact that he thought he was completely in the right irritated her _so much_.

"OK, OK, no need to go all crazy. Deal, or no?" said the blonde boy.

Hermione nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds good. OK. Th-thanks…" said the Gryffindor, amazed that Malfoy had done something _thankworthy._

They continued on to the hospital wing silently, both thinking of how good it felt to be so near to the other, both extremely irritated at their own thoughts.


	6. The Kiss

He was leaning against a chair in between Hermione's legs. His arms were wrapped around her calves protectively, and his hands were wresting on his knees. Hermione was running her hands through his wet hair. He could hear the thunder echoing outside, and he could see the flashes of lighting even with his eyes closed.

"_Mmmm…Hermione…" he mumbled, barely opening his lips. Hermione kissed the top of his head, then twisted off of the chair and into his lap, now straddling him. She smiled warmly at him and nestled her face into his neck, resting against his shoulders. His arms wrapped around her waist and he smiled, not remembering a single instance during which he had felt more comfortable._

Draco awoke with a jerk. He looked around him, wondering where he was. Suddenly, he remembered. He had had to stay in the hospital wing overnight. He vaguely remembered Her—Granger giving him to Madame Pomfrey.

"Madame Pomfrey, um, Malfoy ran into the ground on his broomstick. He was bleeding all over the place, so I figured I should bring him up here. I think his nose is broken…" said Hermione.

"_Oh, foolish boy! If he keeps this up, he'll break Potter's record! Well, put him in that bed, I suppose. Just a broken nose, shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Well, thank you, Miss Granger. You can be going, now," Pomfrey had said, shooing Granger away. She then turned to him._

"_Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy! Look at me!" she said. Her voice was irritatingly high. I looked up._

"_I need to know, would you rather just have me fix the cartilage? You will have a crooked nose, but it'll be painless and you'll be able to leave here in about a half of an hour," she said._

_I tried to sneer at the thought of me—_me!_—going around with a crooked nose for the remainder of my life, but it was too painful._

"_What do you think?" I snapped. She was seriously annoying me. She 'hmph'ed, reminding me severely of the annoying side—no, the annoying everything about—Granger. _

"_I'd expect as much from you, Mr. Malfoy. Vain as a peacock!" She said, and stalked off to her potions cabinet._

"_My fath…" I mumbled after her retreating back, but then I remembered that he was in Azkaban, since summer. Life sentence. _

'Should I feel guilty for being so happy about it?'_ I had often had that same thought. But I banished it to the place where all my thoughts of Granger—ok, not _all_ of them—go._

So he'd wound up having to stay in the Hospital Wing over night and take the nastiest potion he had ever taken in his life.

"Fuckin' Potter…" he grumbled, turning over.

Hermione's Point of View 

After dropping Malfoy off at the hospital wing, Hermione hurried back to the pitch, hoping her friends weren't angry with her for abandoning them to take care of Malfoy. As she suspected, when she got back, they were still playing Quidditch, though without Malfoy, they had made new teams.

It appeared to be Spiel and Paige against Harry and Ron. The teams were tied at zero points, but both Harry and Ron were sporting bruises from the one bludger they'd let out.

"Wait a minute. This isn't fair! We don't have a seeker!" Spiel shouted angrily as Harry dived and caught the Snitch for the third time.

"Well, we don't have any beaters!" Ron said, as he was playing Chaser. He rubbed his head, wincing. "Face it. Even together we don't have enough people to make one team. This is hopeless!"

They all nodded in agreement and dismounted their brooms. They all shook hands with Spiel and wandered off into the castle, followed by Hermione.

"How's _Drakie_?" Ron asked sarcastically.

"Shut it. You guys have got to stop giving him grief about the ferret thing, ok?" said Hermione desperately.

"What! No way! That's all we've got on him! I'll never! Are you crazy?" Ron said incredulously. "What, do you _fancy_ him now, or something!"

Hermione could feel herself redden, and hoped they just thought it was anger over being accused of such a thing.

"How dare you! I do _not_ fancy Malfoy! It's just that…well…he said he'd stop calling me a…Mudblood…if you guys stopped giving him grief over the ferret thing…" she said slowly.

"What!" Paige asked, suddenly joining their conversation. She looked both regretful and said. "He said that?"

"What's it _matter_ if he said that! We can't just let that go! It was so hilarious!" Ron said agnostically.

"Ron. Shut up. You're being really selfish, you know. Malfoy's extending an offer that would make Hermione's life easier. We should take advantage of it." Paige said, still not looking at any of them.

Ron looked to Harry for help. He shook his head.

"Sorry, mate, but she's right. I'm with Hermione on this one," the boy said.

Hermione hugged both Harry and Paige happily.

"Thanks guys!" she said happily.

Monday 

**(Draco's Point of View)**

Draco hadn't seen Hermione all day.

'_Of course you haven't. You've been avoiding her! You coward!'_ the voice inside of his head—which sounded curiously like his father—accused.

Ok, so maybe he was avoiding her. What was he supposed to say if he saw her? He couldn't very well say thanks without looking like a sap. And a mudblood lover—or at least, tolerater—at that. But he couldn't exactly just ignore her. She had taken care of him the day before.

'_Dumb bitch! Why couldn't she have just left me alone?'_

But he couldn't avoid her forever. They had arithmancy together next period, and it was a partners day. Seeing as how the rest of the class were all Ravenclaw—with the exeption of him, the one Slytherin(no one in Slytherin had the brains or drive to take arithmancy!), Hermione, the one Gryffindor(their year had been a failure), and two Hufflepuffs, that stiff, MacMillon, and his little girlfriend, Abbot. Naturally, the Ravenclaw and two Hufflepuffs always paired together. He usually ended up being partners with Hermione.

'But before, you could insult her without feeling guilty. And call her a mudblood. Which you obviously can't do now, thanks to that stupid deal you made with her. Damn you and your insane impulses.'

Of course, his cronies were usually waiting right outside the Arithmancy door to escort him to his next class, so he wouldn't have to deal with her after class. If he just ignored her during…

'Draco Malfoy, you are a failure.'

Oh, how many times had he heard that before.

**(Hermione's Point of View)**

Hermione had been looking for Malfoy all day. She needed to talk to him about Paige.

'_What makes you think he can help?'_ a cold voice inside her head—it sounded peculiarly like Ron—asked skeptically.

Well, they had been best friends. That had to mean something. Hermione had just never known how close they were.

'What is going on with you and Malfoy, anyway? Because, to be honest, it seems like nothing to me. Get over it. You're a muggle-born. He has a superiority complex.'

'Oh, shut up. As if I even like him that way. I just think he might be able to help Paige.'

OK, let me explain. Paige had been acting weird ever since she found out about Malfoy's deal. She was acting depressed and reclusive, and Hermione knew it had something to do with Malfoy and their old friendship. She just knew it.

She had to find Malfoy and talk to them. Hopefully during Arithmancy. Professor Vector usually made Mondays 'partner days', and seeing as how everyone else in the class had partners, she usually ended up with Malfoy.

**(Arithmancy Class)**

Malfoy had been doing a successful job ignoring Hermione. She had been acting nervously, as if she had something to ask him, although she really didn't want to. She kept glancing over at him all lesson.

'You only know that because you were glancing at her too.'

He silenced the voice in his head and went on being silent, which was very hard for him to do. Finally, about five minutes to the end of the lesson, the Gryffindor broke the silence.

"So now that you can't call me Mudblood anymore, you're not talking to me at all? I would be flattered, but I need to talk to you," the brunette said desperately.

"Am I that irresistible, Granger? You would rather have me call you something foul but still be talking to you, then ignoring you and not saying anything mean?" he said sardonically.

Hermione let out a dry laugh, although on the inside, she knew that this was half true.

"No, that's not it at all. Must you be so insufferably arrogant all the time?" she shook her head. "No, it's about Paige. Can you talk to her? I think she's depressed, and I think it has something to do with you."

Draco chuckled outwardly, but he knew exactly what this was about.

'Finally. She finally gets it. Only about seven years too late for it to even be repairable. Right? It's not repairable. Is it!'

"No. I will not talk to her. And I don't think she'd appreciate you meddling in her business." The Slytherin said coldly, having no idea why he was refusing.

"What? Why?" the girl said incredulously.

Professor Vector dismissed them, but she followed him out of class, still ranting.

"I can't believe you! What do you have to lose? You used to be best friends!" she said, ignoring Crabbe and Goyle. "She needs to talk to you! How can you not spare one minute to talk to your old best friend? Huh! After I—someone who hates you—spared about an hour yesterday taking care of you, you can't even—"

Draco suddenly whirled around, his eyes full of anger. He grabbed her by the neck of her robes, pulled her too him, and pressed his lips to hers roughly. Immediately, the kiss became more gentle. He suddenly pushed her away, rough as before.

"Do you feel so high and mighty now, perfect Granger? You're meddling in shit you have no idea about. Go ask your best friend why we aren't friends anymore," the blonde boy said harshly.

"It's-it's your father-he said—"

"No. We wouldn't let something like that ruin our friendship." He said, suddenly aware that he was still holding onto her robes. He pulled her close again, but this time he leaned into her ear, trying to ignore how good he felt.

"Fine. You win. I'll talk to her. But next time, get the full story before you go gallivanting off to save her."

He dropped her robes and walked off, his Slytherin friends staring. As if from a long way off, she could hear him saying, "Well, she was better then Pansy!"

**A Dip Into Paige's Memory**

It was the summer before they went off to Hogwarts, mid-July. Draco and Paige were at her parents' private beach. Draco was supposed to be at Goyle's house for the weekend.

"Draco," Paige said, her voice soft. He knew what was coming.

"Don't!" he said desperately.

"Draco…we can't go on being friends at Hogwarts. You'll be a Slytherin, no doubt. And I will be a Gryffindor, I'm certain. I don't want to leave our friendship to get all sloppy and just gradually fade away, Draco. It'll happen, though. So we should just get used to it now!" the girl said, tears puddling in the corners of her eyes. She fisted them away.

"No! Never! I won't let that happen! We're best friends!" the boy said, trying not to break down and cry.

"Draco, once you get there…you'll have new friends. You…you don't…you don't have enough feeling to carry on a friendship with a Gryffindor." She said slowly, her voice cracking.

"No…no…how can you say I'm unfeeling? I'm not…I…" he stammered pointlessly.

"Draco…think about it honestly…remember when your owl died last year? He'd been your owl for four years! You weren't even sad. You just went out and bought another one. And when Goyle was crying because he saw his father hit his mother? You laughed! And called him a wuss! You don't care about anyone…Draco…I know you. I don't want things to end bad with us, we should just come to terms with the inevitable…" she said, tears now pouring openly down her face. "Draco…I love you…but it won't work out. I want to make it easier for both of us…I think…I think I'm doing the right thing…aren't I?"

He shook his head fiercely.

"No! You aren't doing the right thing! You are doing the completely wrong thing!" He shouted at her, balling his hands into fists. "Wrong! It's wrong! Don't do this!"

Paige shook her head and Draco crumpled onto the sand. Paige got down next to him and wrapped her arms around him, listening to his sobbing, unable to hold back her own.

"Drakie…I'm so sorry…"


	7. Draco's Thoughts

OK, everyone, this is going to be a short one. All in Draco's view, about kissing Hermione.

I just wanted to let you all know, I'm going to Florida for a week. But I'll make it up to you: when I come back, I'll have a REALLY good story for you. Three chapters on Tuesday. OK? I promise.

**But only if I get at least 10 reviews.**

ANYWAY, on to the quiz cave!

Draco dropped his friends as soon as he could, abandoning dinner and heading straight to his dormitory. He had no idea what had possessed him to kiss Granger.

'_Yes, you do.'_

OK, so maybe he did. But it wasn't to do with liking her…

'_Oh, really?'_

Of course it was! He just wanted her to finally stop bugging him.

'_Anything else?'_

Of course! He always fancied a shag.

'I don't believe you…'

Oh, shut up.

'Admit it…' 

Admit what? He had nothing to admit.

'Stop being such a bloody asshole. Do you want to be like your father?' 

He was NOT like his father!

'Do you want to prove Paige right?' 

Draco stood, shaking. He knew the truth. He had hid it from himself for as long as he could. But he couldn't hide it anymore.

'_Alright. I like Granger…'_


	8. Hermione's Thoughts

Thank you ALL for your reviews! Yay! I got more than 10! 

For those of you who care/asked, Florida was **hellllla** fun. i loved it. Floridathe shitoli.

_Cocoamo1223,xXWitchXx,Demise Thoreau,Dragon Blade5,Steelo,hbanana108,  
HPFreak2gd4u,draco&hemione,MIDNIGHT-PIXIE,XXRoseDawsonXX,  
siriusblackshottie-_

Thanks so much for the reviews! You guys are greeeeeat and i'm so happy that people like my story:D:D:D:D

_secretspells311_-aaaaah you are so lucky you live in florida. (although i don't know if i'd be able to handle the constant rain...but it's so warm there! and beautiful!)

_selfhatred_-i can't tell you that! but trust me, i'm already thinking of how/when they'll find out

_FalmeThrower7_-sure i'll check out your story! thanks for the review :-

_anwen_-YAY! I'm on someone's favorite list!

_Moony_-yea, i had to leave it for this tuesday! i wanted to bring my laptop on the trip, but i wasn't allowed.

_MissAmanda_-you're right, i am a pain in the ass. i always hate it when writers do this. i'll try to make it up to you guys!

ANYWAY---on to the quiz cave!

* * *

Hermione stared at the wall opposite Proffesor Vector's arithmancy classroom, dazed.

_'What just happened?'_ she asked herself slowly. _'And why did I enjoy it?'_

Suddenly, she heard a voice call her name from down the hall.

"Hermione! Where have you been? We were looking for you. You're a quarter of an hour late for dinner!"Harry said, running up to her,  
followed closely by Ron. Both looked anxious. "Hermione, why are you on the floor?" Harry suddenly looked puzzled.

Hermione shook her head to clear her thoughts--not that it helped much. Harry put out a hand to pull her up and she took it.

"Oh, nothing. I just kind of lost track of my thoughts..." the brunette mumbled quickly. She jad no idea why she wasn't telling her friends about what Draco did, but she just didn't think she should.

_'You know exactly why. Because you don't want them to hurt him. And you feel guitly for wishing it was happening at this very moment all over again.'_

Hermione sniffed haughtily.

_'I do not. I just feel dirty that he touched me.'_

But she knew she was lying to herself, and doing a crap job of it.

She collected herself as they walked down the corridor, towards the Great Hall. Ron and Harry made it easy, by doing as they always did. Talking about Quidditch.

_'Bloody Quidditch. Is it the only thing boys ever think about? What about studies, or important things like SPEW? Why Quidditch? Just like muggle boys and footie, I swear.'_

All through dinner, Hermione kept glancing over at Malfoy. She thought she had caught his eyes a few times, but she forced herself--again--to believe it was her imagination.

As soon as she got back to her room, she noticed the letter sitting on her desk. She hadn't noticed it before, so she figured Aries had come and dropped it off while she was in classes. She picked it up and jumped up onto her bed.

_Dear VO,  
Bad Girl! No more hints for you! I can't believe you are trying to figure out who Jane is. Don't be so nosy!  
Alright, I forgive you. Since you asked so nicely. But I'm still not giving you anymore hints. You're coming too close. There aren't any other girls in the school like her, so I have to be careful. I never thought your  
dad rode you. I was just joking. And yes, that actually does narrow down the stakes quite a bit. Don't tell__  
tell me you never noticed this school was about 2/3 male. I know you're not that dumb. Anyway, you should try with this 'enemy' guy! He sure doesn't seem like your enemy, if you ask me. Maybe he's madly in love with you. You never know how he might feel, its not like you're inside of his head. You can't read minds, can you? I'd be screwed. You'd know all my secrets! Not that you don't already know more of them than most of my "friends" do. I don't/haven't had that many close friends in my like. I did something today. Something I made a joke of, but now I regret. Well, I don't really regret it, but I know i should regret it. So maybe I regret not regretting it? Are you confused yet? I sure am. Well, I'm going to eat. So, I hope you write back soon. Really soon. Your letters make me SMILE! Well, now I'm laughing. When I'm laughing at my own self, I think it's time to be done. Write back soon. (Oh no, I'm laughing again!)_

_All my love,_

_SD_

She smiled brightly, as she did after reading all of his letters.

_'Does someone have another little crush?'_

She quickly stopped smiling after that thought, pulled out a quill and some parchment, and started writing.

As she was writing, she was thinking.

_'Do I have a crush on Malfoy? Is that even possible? It doesn't seem logical. It seems like Silver Dragon said, it's barely humanly possibly. But I'm powerless to my feelings nonetheless. Damn it! Trust me to push the barriers of human possibility. I should like someone like Silver Dragon! He and I have a lot in common. Well, if I'm being completely honest, I do have a little...thing for him. But not like Malfoy. In more ways than one. For one thing, I'm not supposed to despise Silver Dragon..._

She went to bed that night with inexplicable butterflies in her stomache.

_'So it has nothing to do with having Double Potions tomorrow morning?'_

_'Shutup.'_


	9. The Month of Mail

**Hey! Thanks for the reviews! Even though I only got eight...**

**Maybe I should try going out of town for a week more often. (Or threaten to not write anymore until I get 10+ reviews...)**

**Speaking of out of town, I'm now leaving for Disneyland...on Friday.  
I'll be back on Monday night, though. 3**

_**curlygntx,LyssasPen-**_

**thanks for your support! and the nice comments! love you guys!**

**_XXRoseDawsonXX-_ok, I'll try to make it longer-for your sake!  
_Babyblue754-_I'm glad someone's happy to have me back! it was a lot of fun, yea!  
_siriusblackshottie-_haha, as Dragon Blade5 says, "Oh, the drama"  
_anwen-_God, I love you. (blushes...) flattery always works with me)  
yea, i might be able to incorporate some into the story. email me for details...everyone!  
_Dragon Blade5-_oh yes, drama. always good in a story, but i can't say i'm too in to it in real life. Haha, you're probably right! )  
O.o i've been in florida!  
_steelo-_yea, it was REALLY warm and humid! but not very sunny...and I was at the beach (a different beach, but whatever) on the same day as the shark attack!  
For those of you who don't know--on Sat., June 25th, 2005, a 14 year old girl was attacked about 100yds from shore by a bull shark. She was killed. A surfer saved her body from being completely destroyed.  
She was boogie boarding with a friend when it happened.**

**WELL! I was out even farther than her! Past the drop off! (so nemo)  
And I was boogie boarding! That was scary, hearing about that girl.  
Wouldn't you all miss me so much if that had been me?**

**ANYWAY! on to the quiz cave...**

* * *

The letters were flying between the ignorant Pen Pals, moreso than any other couple, or at least any of their friends.

Harry had discovered his was Cho Chang. They corresponded the bare minimum possible so they would pass.

Ron, incidentally, discovered his was Gregory Goyle. A shudder, a shrug, and "That explains the lack of words..." was all he had to say.

Paige and Sam actually talked quite a bit, but they weren't getting to know each other at all. Mostly just talking about music. Although,  
in their worlds, talking about music was getting to know each other,  
and in one of the deepest possible senses.

"After all, music is life," Sam explained to Draco.

It turned out that Ginny had been writing to Justing Finch-Fletchley.  
Instead of writing, they just got to know each other in person.

In the biblical sense.

**(A/N-I'm not making Ginny a prude. It's more fun if she's not.)**

Anyway.

So as not to bore you, we'll stick with Hermione and Draco.

_Dear SD,_

_That's mean! You're depriving me of hints. I'll die! Haha, no,  
I'm just kidding. I'll live. Lucky you! It's good to know you like a unique girl. I was just about to assume you had no taste. Haha, just kidding. Yes, I noticed about the boy/girl thing. It's pretty obvious, isn't it? But there are still a lot of girls to choose from. And I seriously doubt this guy is madly in love with me. Even more impossible than me being in love with him. Which, unfortunately, I realized that I very possibly may be. Damn thinking time. I hate that period of time before going to sleep, because I use it to think about things. But now I hate it. Because I can't think of anything but him. No, I can't read minds, but I wish I could. I'd like to know what people really thought of me. Doesn't seem like your an open person, now does it?  
Makes me wonder if you've been lying to me. Hmmm.  
No, I'm not confused. Well, not about that. About a lot of other things, I am, though.  
I totally get that, unfortunately. I get that feeling a lot lately.  
Usually after allowing my mind to think freely.  
So mostly when I wake up in the morning and after I get out of the shower.  
Go eat. Maybe this letter will be back before you are. Your letters make me smile too! And now I'm laughing. Damn you, I swear!_

_Almost all my love, (you know, enemy guy)  
VO_

_

* * *

Dear VO,_

_Well, I've been told I can be cruel sometimes. Just something you'll have to get used to. Yay! You'll live! It's my lucky day. And you never really know. I'll keep telling you that. I know, I've begun to hate having free time, too. Keeping myself busy. Don't want to think about her. Mostly because I love thinking about her. My father taught me that giving into your feelings(love/sadness/pity/fear/etc.) is giving into weakness, which is a for sure way to get yourself killed.  
Basically, lovedeath. Nice life I've led, huh? I try to ignore my rearing but it's harder than you'd think. And hmm...you think about him in the shower? Wow, babe, you're impressing me. Didn't think you had it in you, honestly. No offense, but from your letters, you kind of seem a little prude.  
No offense meant. I find it refreshing. :)_

_:D-me laughing at myself for being about to tell you that I like your letters._

_Write back soon. (Oh no:D again.)_

_Almost all my Love, (Jane)  
SD_

_

* * *

Dah-ling SD,  
Merlin, your letters sure are a laugh. :D:D:D And I'll get used to it, I'm sure. And I know. So don't bother to keep saying it! That could get annoying, even coming from you.  
YOUR FATHER IS WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! What an AWFUL father! No offense.  
But seriously. You can't live if you ignore your feelings. Not a real life, anyway. LoveLife because Pain and Happiness and Pity and Fear life. Get used to it, 'babe'. You can change your life! You can take it into your own hands while you still have the chance! You have a chance at a real life. Carpe Diem!_

_And NO! I do NOT think about him like that!  
Well, not a lot...I suppose I have to be honest because I feel like you'll know if I'm lying. And I'm glad my sodding Prudeyness is 'refreshing' to you! Although, again, I must be honest. I don't have all too much experience...Shutup._

_:D_

_write back soon AAML,  
VO_

_

* * *

VO, dah-ling,  
:DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD.  
You better get used to it! Because I'll keep writing you even if you stop writing me! (Mostly to get back at you for ignoring me at that point, though.) Wow, don't get so feisty about my life! I'm trying to change. Can't do it all at once! Carpe Diem x 5.  
OK, I get it about the feelings. I said that I was trying to change,  
but that its not easy!_

_HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA VO thinks dirty about her 'sworn enemy'! I love it. You are adorable. Also, you used 'sodding'. You won't even say 'fucking?' :):):) what a prude, huh? wow, ok, the refreshing bit might be wearing off a bit. ok, I'll shutup._

_So, have a good night filled with sexual dreams about your beloved.  
I'll be doing the same. (About my Jane! You suck minded, adorable litt prude. Not your 'Bob'. Whom I'd rather refer to as your sworn enemy, thanks.)_

_You never know._

_:D write back soon_

_AAML SD_

_To Silver Dragon,_

_OK, now I'm TRULY used to it! You were rather RUDE in your last letter,  
if I do say so myself! If you can, picture me growling at you. I had a half a mind to send you a howler! Instead, I'm sending you a short note telling you that I am giving you the silent treatment aside from this letter._

_From,  
Violet Otter_

_PS-why in the world would you seize 5 days?_

_

* * *

Dear Adorable VO Whom I Love With All Of My Heart And Would Never Do Anything To Offend Because She Makes Me Go :D And I Want Her To Keep Writing To Me,_

_I was just playing! JUST A JOKE! I LOVE YOU! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!  
I LOVE YOU! YOUR MY FAVORITE PERSON EVER! I WAS JUST KIDDING!  
What would you say if I said picturing you growling was turning me on?  
Just kidding. (Sort of.) PLEASE! I'll let you send me a howler if you will forgive me after!_

_I WILL SEIZE ALL THE DAYS!  
YOU NEVER KNOW!  
:'( BECAUSE YOU AREN'T TALKING TO ME!_

_ALLLLLL OF MY LOVE!  
SD_

_

* * *

To: The Silver Dragon._

_Ways to make me not forgive you:  
1) Not use the word sorry anywhere 2) Make my title two lines long 3) Lying to me and telling me I'm your favorite person ever. You have some friends and I know it because you told me.  
4) Saying you love me when you don't. I consider that lying, also.  
5) Coming on to me so I'll forgive you.  
6) Trying to make me pity you by using a sad face.  
7) Taking love away from 'Jane'. Does she deserve any less love because you were a prat? No. Not fair at all._

_This was not breaking the Silent Treatment, due to the fact that it was informing you which rules you were breaking, as opposed to a personal letter._

_From: The Violet Otter._

_

* * *

Dear VO,_

_I'm very sorry. My head was blocked last time because I was panicking.  
I need you because you keep me sane when I go out of my mind thinking about Jane. You're one of the best things that has happened to me. And I wasn't lying about the favorite part all the way. You ARE one of my favorite people. And I do love you. You're one of my best friends. I wasn't coming on to you, I was being honest. Isn't that points in your book? Again, just being honest. Not trying to get you to pity me. And ok, you got me on the last one. Jane does still have a lot of my love.  
But so do you._

_Please don't keep me on the silent treatment.  
You never know.  
AAML,  
SD_

_

* * *

To: Silver Dragon_

_From: Violet Otter_

_

* * *

Dear VO,  
I hardly think that's fair, you know. I apologized. I kept my head and had a normal conversation in which I pointed out both my faults and my 'appropriate behavior'. I corrected myself where I was wrong. I've done as much as I can, seeing as how you won't tell me how I can make it up to you. Please forgive me. I'm sorry._

_You silence doesn't make me :D._

_Write--really write--back soon.  
You never know._

_AAML,  
SD_

_To: Silver Dragon_

_From: Violet Otter_

_

* * *

VO,_

_This is no longer fair! I've gone as far as I could! Done everything I could think of to get you to forgive me! You know what, I want you to forgive me more than almost anything else I can think of at the moment.  
Almost as much as I want Jane to throw all cautions to the wind and jump me like a wild beast--but maintain a relationship with morals.  
Which is YOUR fault by the way! You made me admit that I really liked her as opposed to her body! YOU BETTER FORGIVE ME. YOU AREN'T BEING FAIR. YOU THINK YOU'RE SO GOOD, BUT GUESS WHAT! YOU'RE NOT! YOU'RE JUST AS BAD AS ME FOR NOT FORGIVING ME AFTER I'VE GONE SO FAR TO GET YOUR FORGIVENESS! AT THIS VERY MOMENT I HAVE PEOPLE OUT TO FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE SO I CAN ATTACK YOU AND FORCE YOU TO FORGIVE ME SO I DON'T HAVE YOU ON MY BRAND BLOODY NEW CONSCIENCE! WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS ALSO YOUR FAULT! I NEVER HAD A CONSCIENCE BEFORE YOU STARTED WRITING ME! AND YOU KNOW WHAT! MY CONSCIENCE HAS YOUR BLOODY HANDWRITING! SO THAT'S NOT FAIR AT ALL! FORGIVE ME NOW!_

_AAML, BUT ALSO ANGER,  
SD_

* * *

_Dear SD,_

_Theres the guy that I know and love. None of that sodding sappy guy crap for me. Or you. OK, I get that you were joking. I forgive you. I can't believe I only got through three letters of silence, though. That is an all time low for me._

_AAML,  
VO_

Their letters continued like this for weeks, them just becoming closer and closer. They sent up to four or five letters a day altogether.  
Hermione now considered what her Silver Dragon (because that was what she had taken to calling him) would think when she was dressing. Draco began thinking how his Violet Otter would think of what he was doing.

They became really close and both of their groups of friends noticed,  
although no one said anything. After about a month of writing,  
they were coming up on 100 collective letters. Also, the first Hogsmeade visit was coming up. Hermione had kind of been expecting it for a while, and, finally, it came, in a normal letter.

_Oy there, babe,_

_What's up with you? You've been a little quiet lately. Decide to make a move on Mr. Enemy yet? You never know. Well, if you haven't already worked your magic on him and made him madly in love with you, (I wouldn't be surprised, really) wanna meet and go to Hogsmeade together?  
Let me know soon, seeing as the trip is tomorrow..._

_I'm such a procrastinator._

_No new on the Jane front. Ah, well._

_AAML,  
SD_

Hermione smiled brightly as she read this and quickly scrawled on the parchment she had immediately gotten out upon seeing the letter from SD. She was finally going to find out who he was!

_'Three guesses who you want him to be.'_

She would have glared at herself if she could.

_Dear SD,_

_Yea! That'd be great! Let's meet in front of the Great Hall a quarter of an hour before the carriages leave. See you then!_

_AAML,  
VO_

Hermione sent it back immdeiately and lay back on her bed, knowing she'd never be able to fall asleep...


	10. Hogsmeade

**Yay! OK, I'm going to share with you my new rule:**

**I'm not going to update until I get at least 10 reviews. OK?**

**Sorry for leaving you with that evil cliffie!**

**Well, no, I'm not really. It's all so much fun for me!**

**But I'm glad you all gave me enough reviews before I left for disneyland tonight, because then I would have felt cruel.**

**thanks for the reviews!**

**_XXRoseDawsonXX,-Lily Evans 4 life-,a special person,dancerfreak1991-_**

**thanks for the reviews! keep it up! i love you guys!**

**_Two Bit's Twobit-_is your name from The Outsiders? Love it! Drama drama drama, as always!**

**_Moony-_thanks! haha, ill try to keep going with this.**

**_FalmeThrower7-_AAMLAlmost All My Love**

**_slytherin-kittycat-_thanks! update your story soon!1**

**_+Witch+-_haha, sorry! im glad my fic is addictive, though!**

**_Babiblue754-_haha, i cant tell you that!**

**_curlyqntx-_love the dance! keep it up!**

**_Queen of Duct Tape-_you might not like this chappie very much!  
sorry!**

**_siriusblackshottie-_its ok, profanity isnt a biggie with me. but I cant guarantee anything about this chapter! all I know is that I tried to make it long!**

* * *

Hermione woke up the next morning with the brightest of smiles on her face. She jumped out of her bed and threw open her trunk, scattering clothes everywhere. By the time she realized she had nothing but frumpy jumpers, boring trousers, and sensible trainers, her clothes were all over the room and her trunk was completely empty.

Paige sat up, rubbing her head and holding one of Hermione's tennies.

"Thanks for the lovely wake up call, 'Mi. What's with you?" she snapped grumpily. Hermione blushed and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry! It's just that...well, I'm meeting my PenPal to go to Hogsmeade today! And I don't have any good clothes!" she cried desperately,  
falling back down on her bed.

Paige got up, still rubbing her sleepy eyes, and started rummaging in her trunk. Suddenly, she let out an "A-ha!" of triumph, and pulled out a rumpled shirt, smoothing it.

She was holding up a tight looking, black wife-beater tank top. On it was a gothic-looking white cross, and along the bottom it said 'Hard Rock Cafe' in medium sized white Olde English letters, and underneath that, in small letters, it said 'Orlando'.

"It's from my family trip to the US of A last year," she explained breathlessly.

She tossed it to Hermione then dived back into her suitcase without pausing or breath. This time she had unearthed a belt--it was made of purple leather and covered in little silver studs. She then tossed Hermione a Sharpie.

"Doodle on the shoes. Wear basic jeans. Put your hair in a messy bun.  
And, voila! Hottness a la Paige!" her friend said excitedly.

Hermione nodded and pulled on the shirt and pants, slipping the belt through the belt loops.

"No! Not the belt loops. Just let it hang!" Paige said. "This isn't my personal style, but a little bit of 'scene' can be hot sometimes. It'll looked good on you. Dooo iiit!"

Hermione nodded and redid her belt. She grabbed an elastic and pulled her now-only-wavy sun-streaked brunette hair into a messy bun. She decided to forego the shoe doodles and slipped her feet into a pair of comfy trainers.

The brunette sat back down on her bed and prepared to watch Paige get ready. It was always entertaining because it was always something different, like yesterday she wore shiny purple lip-gloss. But Paige only did her makeup on certain occasions, for everyday stuff she just used a little bit of black eyeliner.

Paige screwed up her eyes and focused hair. There was a light _'Pop'  
_and Paige's overlayer of turquoise hair turned into a shimmering Ultraviolet bluish purple color. She did two extremely short, messy braided low pigtails, with lots of purple and black flyaways.

She grinned at Hermione, then focused her eyes back on the mirror. She wipped out a black eyeliner stick and quickly lined her eyes, giving a small, millimeter long tail at the end of each. She then pulled out a shimmery purple eyeshadow and a thin brush with a bushy head. She dipped the brush into the eyeshadow and quickly stroked a layer on her lids and very thin layers underneath her eyes.

She slicked on Burt's Bee's chapstick, which she had become addicted to on her trip, and popped in a peice of gum.

She grabbed the leather jacket the hung over her bedpost. It was a lot like Sam's. She had inherited it from her brother after her parents sent him to reform school for getting into drugs. She pulled on a baggy white wife-beater--which, Hermione noticed eviously, managed to look good on her, like almost everything else.

_'I could never wear something so shapeless and still look good.'_

She was also wearing old, worn out Levi's 519s and Doc Marten boots.

"It's not a wonder Sam is madly in love with you," Hermione said to her friend.

Paige rolled her eyes. "He's not, though. I don't get why you guys think he is."

Hermione rolled her eyes back and lead the way out of the dorm.

* * *

**Draco's Point of View**

Draco, on the other hand, was having barely any trouble getting ready.

But barely didn't mean none.

_'The only trouble is having fucking Sam around, questioning my every move! And worrying about what would happen if he saw Paige in Hogsmeade!'_

"Are you sure she'd like that?" Sam asked for the umpteenth time,  
looking at Draco's reflection in the mirror.

Draco was wearing a forest green collared shirt and jeans. Which he didn't like at all. Nothing seemed to be working this morning.

'You call that barely any trouble?'

Draco turned around towards Sam, pulling off the sweater, looking disgusted.

"What the fuck is wrong with everything I own this morning?" the blonde asked angrily. Sam shook his head.

"I don't know. Maybe you're trying too hard, and you know it, and that would be why nothing looks good." he said wisely.

Draco hoped he was right, because he didn't want to try any more clothes on. He grabbed a plain white t-shirt, pulled on some black jeans, stepped into some random shoes that were lying on the ground,  
grabbed his cloak, and averted his eyes from the mirror. He was going to go all the way with this whole 'not caring' thing. His platinum hair shagged in his eyes, he shook it out of them, waiting for Sam to be ready.

Sam was going for a Sid Vicious look. He had spiked his flaxen hair up and was wearing tight jeans and a band shirt under his big leather jacket. His Doc Marten boots were clunky, and his tall, lean frame was perfect with the look. If he died his hair black and wore contacts so you couldn't see his brilliant blue eyes, he would have looked almost identical to Sid.

"Bloody brilliant, man. Next you'll abandon drums and take up bass, and write a tribute to Sid and Nancy with Paige, eh?" Draco teased, grinning.

"Oh, no. Paige is much better looking and much more likable than that Nancy Spungen chick." he was nodding to himself. They walked out of the dorm, silent.

* * *

**No One's Point of View**

Hermione walked slowly up to the doors of the Great Hall exactly on time. The only person she saw was Drac--Malfoy leaning against a pillar on the other side of the doorway into the Great Hall.

Things with Malfoy hadn't been bad, but they hadn't exactly been good either. True to his word, he wasn't calling her 'Mudblood' anymore, but he acted as if he had forgotten she existed, except sometimes she caught him looking at her. But that was mostly because she had been looking at her. They talked when they had to, but other than that, it was as if they had never met.

She tried to give him a scornful look, but wasn't sure if she'd pulled it off.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" She asked suspiciously.

"I don't see how that's any of your business, Granger," he said nonchalantly. "But while we're on the topic, why are you here?"

Hermione shook her head angrily. The audacity!

"Why would you care?" She asked, looking down her nose at him.

He rolled his eyes and she huffed. Both looked around the hall anxiously, all the while sneaking sidelong glances at each other.

"Hermione!" the brunette turned to find the owner of the voice. It was Harry, who was standing with Ron and Paige near the Entrance Hall.  
Sam was loitering near them.

Harry waved her over. She looked around one last time, and reluctantly ran over to her friends.

"'Mi, it's time to go. We'll miss the carriages," Paige said apologet-  
ically. Ron and Harry nodded.

They walked out the door and Sam walked over t Draco.

"No show?" he asked, trying to conceal his glee. Draco shook his head and made an 'as if' face.

"Naw, we're meeting later in Hogsmeade. In private," the blonde boy said. He put the emphasis on 'private', so his friend would get what he meant.

"Was it Granger?" Sam asked, knowing about Draco's little...er...'crush'.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Draco said, and they loped off towards an empty carriage.

* * *

**Draco's Point of View**

Draco was thinking how he'd get out of this one the entire ride into Hogsmeade. He immediately abandoned his friends and walked away from them, under the pretense of 'meeting his PenPal' who was supposedly 'the hottest chick he'd ever seen, and he had no idea how he'd missed her all those years'.

He wandered past the town entrance and along a dirt road out of Hogsmeade. He hooked a left at a crooked tee and walked for about 10 more minutes, watching the beautiful scenery and thinking.

_'What if it was Granger? There's no way I'd get that lucky, right? And if it is her, then she'll know that I like her! Well, I never used names, so she mightn't have guessed. I must have missed the girl I was supposed to meet. With my luck it's probably Eloise Midgen or some shit like that. Granger looked really hott today...'_

Suddenly, he reached his destination. His father had found this as a kid at school, and it was the first place his father and his mother had ever kissed. Draco had been forced to listen to this story a million times.

_'How perfect would it be if...Granger would love this place.'_

It was a beautiful, crystallin blue pond that you could see straight to the bottom of. It was five feet deep at it's deepest, and the water wasn't freezing, more cool. He came here when he wanted to think, and had used it a lot. He sat against a thick tree, facing the pond. No one would be able to see him from the entrace, but he would be able to hear them. He liked it that way.

The only person he had ever told about this place was his PenPal.

_'Eloise fucking Midgen,'_ his sadistic brain shouted at him.

He had thought of bringing girls here with him a lot of times, knowing it would make him seem romantic and make it that much easier to get into their pants, but it seemed to special for any of the girls he had ever dated.

_'And now you want to take Granger here.'_

He shook his head. He was so deep in thought, he never heard the approaching footsteps.

* * *

**Hermione's Point of View**

Hermione was silent the entire ride into town, and none of her friends bugged her about it.

She ditched her friends after a round of butterbeers, saying she had to buy a new book. No one questioned this, seeing as she got a new books practically every time she was in Hogsmeade. They waved goodbye and she headed out of the pub.

But instead of going to the bookstore, she followed a dirt road out of Hogsmeade. She looked at all of the trees, checking to see if any of them were crooked.

She was looking for this place her PenPal had raved about. Apparently,  
his father had found this place as a child and put a protection charm around it, so you could only find it if you were, or had been told about it by, a member of his family. Finally, she found the tree and went turned onto the path. He had told her it was straight from here, and that it was about a 10 minute walk. As she walked, her thoughts turned to her PenPal.

_'I can't believe he didn't show up! Urgh, what a git! Well, maybe it was a misunderstanding. I guess I owe him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I'll find him here! That would be cool. Well, if anyone's here, it will be him, seeing as I'm the first person he's told about the place...and what was Malfoy doing there this morning? Although he looksreally great today. Like a normal person, as opposed to someone really rich, for once...and I like his hair a lot better now, since he stopped slicking it back...'_

Hermione suddenly realized she had arrived. She gasped. It was beautiful! A crystal clear pond in a clearing surrounded by beautiful trees, but it was open to the sun. She saw a perfect looking thick tree and went to sit in the shade. She was about to pull out a book when she head a sigh on the other side of the tree. She silently slid her book back into her bag and got on all fours, crawling around the base of the tree. Suddenly, she came face-to-face with Draco Malfoy.

She jumped up and ran.


	11. In the Clearing

_'Suddenly, she came face-to-face with Draco Malfoy._

_She jumped up and ran.'_

Draco jumped up and ran after her.

"Granger! Granger! God dammit, Granger!" he called after her.

She was fast, but he was faster. He caught up with her at the crooked tree. He grabbed her arm and spun her around so she was facing him.

"Granger." he said. She struggled against his grip.

"How did you know where that spot was?" he asked, even though he already knew.

"Erm..." she struggled a little harder and he put an arm around her waist to stop her from breaking his grip.

_'Sure, that's why you did it.'_

"C'mon, Granger, just tell me and I'll let you go. Are you..." he trailed off, but they both knew what he was talking about.

"Are you?" Suddenly, it came to her. _'Silver Dragon'_. It was so obvious.  
DracoDragon, SilverSlytherin house color. "Oh, Merlin, tell me you're not."

He grimaced.

"Violet Otter?" he said. She giggled a little from nervousness.

"My patronus is an otter..." she said to explain.

"I know. I asked you about your name in one of the letters. I just can't believe that..." he scowled at himself for being so stupid. Then it hit him. All he had told her. She was smart. Would she get it? "Fuck!"

He looked down at her. "How many sworn enemies do you have?" it suddenly occured to them that he was still holding her. He let her go and stepped back from her. He turned on his heel and started back towards the clear-  
ing, leaving a stunned Hermione behind him.

He turned back around.

"Well? Are you coming?" he asked impatiently. She walked after him slowly, slightly dazed. He huffed at her slow pace and grabbed at her wrist, 'accidentally' missing and grabbing her hand.

When they finally made it back to the clearing, He sat down under the shade of the big tree, pulling her down with him. They stared warily at each other for a few seconds before Draco pulled an apple out of his bag and tossed it to her, then pulled one out for himself.

"So..." he began slowly. For once in his life, he was at a loss for words. He had no idea how to handle this situation.

"Are you really...you know...Silver Dragon?" Hermione asked tentatively.

Draco nodded.

"So, as I said, how many sworn enemies do you have? Besides me, of course," Draco said. He was working hard to maintain his usual smirk.

Hermione jumped up, tears pooling in her eyes.

"Not that I would have expected any less from you before I knew you were Silver Dragon, but don't make fun of me! Just sodding don't!" she said angrily, fisting her tears away.

Draco reached up and grabbed her hand, pulling her down into him. He hugged her, because that was all he could think of to do. That's what he would have done if it were anyone besides Granger. That's what SD would have done. And SD was Draco's true personality. The one no one except Paige, Sam, and now Granger knew.

"Stop. Sorry. I'm sorry. I wasn't making fun of you," he said into her hair. She pulled away from him and sat down.

"Well, since you now know my deepest, darkest bloody secret, you tell me who Jane is," she said.

Draco sighed in relief. She hadn't figured it out! He shook his head fiercely.

_'Why on earth don't you want her to know? You know who hers is. It would all be perfect. Don't be an ass.'_

"That's not fair!" she cried, getting ready to jump up again.

"Granger, this whole you jumping up and me catching you thing is getting a little boring," he said, grabbing her hand and keeping her down.

"I'll tell you if you do my a favor," he said. She looked slightly apprehensive at that.

"What is it...?" she asked slowly.

"Swear. Curse. Say fuck," he said, grinning. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Fuck..." she whispered.

"What was that? I can't hear you!" he said merrily.

"Fuck," this one was a little louder. Like her normal voice.

"Louder," he said. He was enjoying this.

"Fuck!" she shouted.

"Scream it and I'll tell you," he said, still grinning gleefully.

"FUCK! FUCKFUCKFUCK!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Now you have to tell me because that's as loud as my voice goes!"

He smiled.

"Getting better, Granger," he said.

"Not so refreshing anymore, am I?" she said snottily. "Now spill. No more changing the subject.

"Fine," he said. "Who do you think it is?"

She shook her head and shrugged. "How should I know? You never said her name. I seem to recall you calling her Jane, though..."

He laughed.

"Do I really have to tell you?" he said. "It's embarassing!"

Hermione's mouth fell open.

"You don't think you knowing all of my secrets isn't mortifying at all for me!"

"Fine, I'll tell you. You have to guess first, though."

"Pansy."

"Eew!"

"Millicent."

"Need I say it?"

"Parvati."

"No."

"Lavender."

"No."

"Ginny."

"This is getting boring."

"Paige."

"Nope."

"Lu--"

Suddenly, Draco cut her off. He grabbed one of her hands and pulled her to him, pressing his mouth on hers. All in one smooth motion. Just like that, Hermione's first real kiss. She had kissed boys in Truth or Dare games before, and there was that one kiss from Malfoy, but she didn't count those. They weren't real.

After a few seconds, he let her go. He pulled her body onto his lap so she was straddling him. She stared at him.

"Any more guesses?" he said, somewhat breathlessly. she smiled and put her arms around his neck.

They both leaned in for another kiss.

About an hour later, they were walking along the dirt road holding hands. They were going very slowly, because Draco kept pointing things out and they would stop and look at them for a million years each time.

"Malfoy?" she asked. He rolled his eyes.

"Are you honestly calling me Malfoy?" he asked, smiling. He slid his arms around her waist and leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

She giggled into his mouth. After a few minutes, he broke away and ran over to the side of the trail, pretending to look at a bug.

"Dra-aco..." she called, giggling.

He stood up and looked over at her.

"What, Granger?" he snarled. Her eyes widened and she took a step away.

Draco smiled and skipped over to her, laughing. "See, it's not very pleasant to be known by your surname, is it?" He leaned down and gave her a light kiss on the lips.

"Your friends are going to kill you, aren't they? And so are mine. Kill you, I mean, not me. They'll think you drugged me..."Draco nodded, understanding what she was getting at.

"Yeah, I think it would be best not to tell them, too."

They spent the rest of the day playing and swimming and kissing and talking in 'their' clearing, not worrying about the rest of the world for the first time in each of their lives.


	12. Discovery, and Reconciliation

**Hey, peoples. After all that damn mush, I'm going to try to make a good one. But things can't elevate as well as i'm planning QUITE yet. so i'll settle for less mushy annoying shit that has to do with kissing and cuddling and being "awwwwww"-y and smoochie. that seriously annoys me and is ENTIRELY out of character for each. i was having severe writers block syndrome when i wrote that. so I'm sorry.**

**Oh, and, I'm going to go on as if the STUPID sixth book never came out.**

**_Nyome,Dusty Brown,Moony,Rukan Huq,All Apologies,tiger-lily9240,ilori,MIDNIGHT-PIXIE,Babiblue754,XXRoseDawsonXX,siriusblackshottie,.Adorablu.--_**

**thanks for reviewing! i 3333333 you guys with a passion!**

**_Steelo_-you'll just have to read and find out! haha, i suck so bad at being secretive...**

**_SelfHatred_-aint sayin nothin!**

**_slytherin-kittycat_-thaaaaanks! that means a lot to me! and why wouldn't i love your story! it's awesome!**

**_secretspells311_-ok, I know that, but for the purpose of my story, I'm pretending he didn't:-p**

**_felicity_-is that book called 'Perfect Stranger' or something? With Pinky and Blue? Cause yeah, I read that. I read it--after I started this series! (I've been writing this for a while)**

**_DracoNmione_-haha, sorry! I would e-mail you all, but your e-mails don't show up on my Review section! and I'm not much of a fluff person either. I just was having writers block, and fluff is really easy to write!**

**_Anwen_-that's sweet of you to say, it really is! But I think I definitely was having writers block. And am still suffering from some of the symptoms in this one!**

**_Blueskyshymoon08-_YAY! I'M ON A FAVORITE LIST! ok, I'm done now!**

**_Psycho4DUCKS_-haha, I love your username! me and my friend have this joke with ducks. Ok, one time, this duck...nevermind. haha. ANYWAY! thanks for your comments! haha, and I don't mind if you sing at me.**

**_Dusty Brown-_thanks! I wonder. You're right. Probably nothing big, though, because this concerns their characters more than it does them. It's JKR you'd have to worry about:-p**

**_BigBigStarr_-I can't tell you! But I'm already planning how the world is gonna find out about Draco and Hermione! I mean, if I let the world find out:-p**

**_xXWitchXx-_all I can say is, HPB was DEFINITELY not my favorite in the series.**

**_Queen of Duct Tape-_oh no! Here I am, updating! NO DEAD CHICKEN! PLEASE! POULTRYNIGHTMARES FOR S.o.G!**

**_Diabolicalone18_-haha, I have the same problem. No, it's not over yet, though!**

**OK, People, question. Do you want a detailed account of what I want to do to JKR for killing off Dumbledore? I mean, after my hangover wears off.**

**ATTENTION: IF YOU WANT TO E-MAIL ME WITH YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS, SO I CAN TELL YOU WHEN I'M WORKING ON MY STORY AND KEEP YOU UPDATED, MY E-MAIL IS:**

**gabsadd (at sign) priest. com (without spaces, and with a real at sign! (shift 2))**

**I NEED GOOD DMHG FIC SUGGESTIONS! I NEED SOMETHING TO READ!**

Hermione snuck back into her Dormitory around 11 PM. She looked around. Thankfully, the other girl's curtains were closed. Hermione tiptoed to her bed and pulled the curtains back.

"Aaah!" she whispered, jumping back. "Paige, what are you doing in my bed!"

"Boo," Paige said. "More like, what is your bed doing empty at 11 o'clock at night?"

"N-nothing!" Hermione stammered too quickly. Paige narrowed her eyes.

"You were doing something."

"Nothing interesting!"

"Don't know why you feel like you gotta lie to me. Guess it's cause I'm so dishonest, huh?" Paige snarled, getting up and going back to her bed.

_'I swear, sometimes that girl acts like a Slytherin!'_

Draco swaggered into his dorm at about 11:30 PM. He smirked when he saw that Sam and Blaise were still awake to witness his late entrance.

"Where were you, man?" asked Sam, knowing full well what he had been doing. Just not who with.

"Ahhh, wouldn't you like to know..." he said, slurring his words on purpose. Why not? He was good at it.

Blaise snorted. "You went out and got drunk with some chick. Like we couldn't have figured that out. Seeing as its what you do, oh, every weekend?" he knocked back a gulp of the firewhiskey he and Sam had been sharing and smiled.

"Gimme gimme," Draco said, holding his hands out. He grabbed the bottle from Blaise and took a swig.

"So, who's the lucky lady?" Blaise asked, grabbing his booze back.

"Oh, you know, this or that one. An old friend of mine, if you catch my drift? She's sure changed a lot, though!" he said, smirking maliciously at Sam.

"ASSHOLE!" Sam said, diving for his wand. "I'VE STILL GOT THAT RECORDER, YOU DICK!"

Crabbe grunted and Goyle rolled over restlessly. Sam stopped yelling.

"You fucking assmunch. I knew you were evil, but this? Not cool, dude!" he said angrily, brandishing his wand and trying to come up with an appropriate curse through the drunked stupor that was finally starting to settle in.

"Ahhh, calm down, mate. God, you and your Yank slang. 'Dude'." Draco said, grabbing the bottle back from Blaise and taking a swig. "I didn't do Paige. But the one for tonight gets to remain anonymous."

Sam looked at him, his eyes glinting with a little bit of what one might percieve as thought or recognition. Draco immediately remembered the sleep-talking Sam had recorded of his.

_'No, you're paranoid. It's the firewhiskey.'_

Draco rolled onto his bed and lay back on his pillows. "G'night," he mumbled to his friends, and fell asleep immediately.

* * *

The next day Hermione awoke to find Paige asleep (as usual). And crookshanks, creeping in for the attack (as usual). And Parvati and Lavender gossiping (as usual). But what was not usual was the fact that they were staring at her as they were gossiping. And she could've sworn she heard them whisper her name. 

"Morning, Parvati, Lavender," Hermione said someone stiffly.

Parvati whispered something in Lavenders ear and she giggled.

"Morning! My, looking a bit-err-_tired_ this morning, 'Mione?" Lavender said with an 'oh-so-innocent' look on her face.

Parvati wore the same expression. "Yeah, you are, 'Mione! Get in a bit..._late_ last night?"

Hermione eyed them suspiciously. "I had-errrrrm-patrol. Yeah. So, yes, I am tired."

They giggled and left the corridor, eyeing her all the way to the door.

Hermione rolled her eyes and sat back, watching her cat about to attack her best friend.

_'3...2...1...BLAST OFF!'_

Hermione shoved her fingers into her ears right on time, barely managing to save them from Paige's bloodcurdling scream of, "BLOODY CAT!"

"PEICEOFSHITMOTHERFUCKER! IHATEYOU! DIE! FUCKINGBITCHASSDICKSHITEATAFATDICKIHATEYOUDIE!"

Predictable.

"Paige, your vocabulary seems to get larger every day," Hermione said laughingly. Paige punted Crookshanks across the room at Hermione and glared.

"So, you gonna tell me where you went last night, or am I gonna have to whip out the Veritaserum?" she grumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"...partolling?" Hermione avoided her friends eyes. Paige could always get anything out of her.

"Ah, c'mon. I'm not Parvati or Lav. I'm, y'know, not mentally retarded," Paige said, rolling hey eyes. "I could never have expected it out of you, but I have a feeling you were with someone. A guy someone, perhaps?"

"Paige, you--"

"I know, I know. I _thoroughly_ suck, I have _the_ most _horrid_ habit of manipulating people into telling me whatever I want to know, I should have been in Slytherin, blah, blah, blah. Heard it a million times, 'Mi. Now dish," Paige said.

Hermione huffed, but grudgingly told her friend all that had happened yesterday.

"Holy fuck," Paige said. "Maybe I fucked up..."

"Huh? What did you do?" the girl asked puzzledly.

"Oh. Well, the reason me and Malfoy aren't friends anymore is because-well, I told him when we were eleven that it wouldn't last when we came to Hogwarts. Because he was--um, I said he was incapable of feeling..."

"Why did you say that?" Hermione looked confused. "I thought you guys were best friends."

"Well, we were. But he was pretty unfeeling, at least at the time. If it wasn't easy, he dismissed it. It didn't matter whether it was his mother or his pet or his shirt. I didn't want to be dismissed."

"So _you_ dismissed _him_? Not hypocritical at all."

"Shut _up_! I was eleven!" the Metamorphagus said angrily. "And it's not like I haven't wanted to go talk to him a bunch of times, or rather, every time I see him! But I don't because it would hurt you guys!"

Obviously, Hermione had touched a nerve. She didn't pursue the subject.

"What do you want to do today?" the prefect asked her friend. Paige, who had been rummaging in her trunk, pulled out her Quidditch robes.

"I'm gonna go fly a little bit. See you."

After Paige walked out the door, Hermione realized she hadn't yet asked her to keep this quiet.

* * *

Draco rolled out of bed around 9:30. He glanced at Sam's and Blaise's beds. Both asleep. Draco crept over to Sam's trunk and rummaged around in it. 

"A-ha!" he whispered triumphantly, pulling the tape-recorder out of a pair of socks. He popped it open and pulled out the tape, before turning back around. He pulled on his Quidditch robes quickly, grabbed his broom, and ran out to the Quidditch pitch.

The first thing he did after kicking off was put on a burst of speed toward the lake. Once successfully too far out for anyone to swim--not that they would, this was just a precaution--he launched the tape towards the water. The faist _splash!_ gave him immense relief. He zoomed back toward the pitch, only to see in had been occupied.

And then, realizing it a second too late to avoid her, his ex-best-friend was flying towards him. She stopped about three feet off to the side of him. She leaned back to she was resting leisurely on her broom, looking at him.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"If you're trying to seduce me, Reynolds, it's a bit too late. I'm rather taken," he said teasingly.

She snorted.

"Oh, yes, Malfoy, I can no longer resist your ever-present smirk and blindingly blonde hair. Y'know, I was always into that incest thing, too," she said.

"I'm touched. You still think of me as your brother?"

"How could I not?"

"How could you tell me I was unfeeling?"

Paige was silent. She bit her lip. In all five-and-a-quarter years of school together, they had avoided this subject.

"I...I don't know...I thought it was true?" she said quietly. "Is it, anymore?"

"It never was."

"Oh, Draco. I'm...I'm sorry...I just...I was scared. I was scared you would dismiss me, like you did everything else..."

"What did I ever do to show you that you were on the same level in my life as everyone--_anyone_--else?" the blonde said, his ever-present smirk gone.

"You...nothing. Never. I was eleven, and stupid. I'm sorry."

"You were never stupid."

"Are we...friends now?" the Slytherin asked quietly.

"Can we be?"

Draco nodded solemnly.

Suddenly, smirk back in place, he grabbed her hand and pulled her off her broom and to him, hugging her tightly.

"AAAAH! IM GONNA FALL!" she yelled, swinging her leg over his broom.

"I'm glad we're friends again, Paigey..."

"Me too..."


	13. Drama, Drama, Drama!

**Hey! Sorry it's been soo fucking long. But, seriously, I think I still have a bit of writers block.**

**Steelo,SiriusBlacksHottie,XxRoseDawsonxX,MIDNIGHT-PIXIE,SelfHatred,Slytherin-Kittycat,ilori,kat,TheGoddessAthena,secretspells311,his-lil-shortie,Trista-Selphie,BigBigStarr,Diablolicalone18,Felicity--**

**thanks so much for reviewing! I love you guys!**

**_Shadow and_ _Rerapped--_thanks for the suggestion!**

**_tiger-lily9240--_i'm sorry I haven't gotten around to reading yours yet! I will, I promise! I've just been super busy, cause I've got like three jobs, i coach two little kids teams, and i play tennis, so...I will, i promise! And thanks for the suggestions!**

**_Anwen--_you can tell you have writers block if you can never find time to write (because its more likely you're never MAKING time to write!), and when you have to FORCE yourself to sit down and write something when you don't feel like it, (which can usually result in MORE severe writers block, because it kills the fun), and when you do sit down and write, everything either isn't up to what you feel is your potential, or is just like osmething you've already read. It sucks, mondo!**

**_Kaci--_I lovelovelove you with a fiery passion! Thanks for taking the time to write up that whole list! All of the ones I've read so far are amazing! You have impeccable taste.**

**_BabiBlue754--_How right you are, stupid snape needs to die!

* * *

**

After Paige left, Hermione ran to find Harry and Ron immediately. She waited by the stairs to the Boy's Dormitories for them to wake up, and when they did, she accompanied them everywhere they went. Whenever she saw Paige, which, oddly, wasn't very much that day, she steered them clear of her. She sat next to her at lessons so she couldn't tell Ron or Harry about Malfoy.

"Paige?" Hermione whispered during Potions. Paige grunted.

"Um, Malfoy and I--we, um--we decided to not tell anyone. Will you please not tell anyone?" she pleaded with her friend quietly. Paige nodded slightly, but didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry that I--err--I offended you this morning. I didn't mean to..." the brunette said to Paige. Paige said nothing and continued working on her potion. Hermione was silent for the rest of the lesson.

Hermione left Potions with Ron and Harry, and Paige walked away from them. Hermione looked away from Paige, wondering where she was going to hang out and who she was walking to her next class with.

"Next is Transfiguration!" Hermione said excitedly. Ron groaned and Harry rolled his eyes. All through Transfiguration, Hermione wanted to turn around and see who Paige was sitting with, but she didn't. Paige had no reason to be mad at her! She didn't even know what she'd done wrong!

Hermione skipped dinner and went straight to the library.

'This year is NEWTS! Oh my god! I have to start studying! I've totally been slacking, only an hour a day so far!' Hermione thought frantically, grabbing the first book within reach and throwing herself into a seat, reading studiously.

About an Half hour later, Hermione was just finishing that book and starting on her next one.

She felt someone sit down next to her, and saw a pair of hands grab a book. Hermione turned her head slightly.

"Paige?" She whispered quietly.

"Malfoy wants you to meet him in the Room of Requirements tonight at ten," Paige said, not looking up from her book.

"Paige, I--" the brunette started. Her friend cut her off.

"It's alright. I was overreacting. It's cool now. Chill."

Hermione smiled gratefully at her friend, and was relieved to get Paige's signature crooked grin back for the first time all day.

"You better get going. It's 9:30, and seven floors is a damn far walk," Paige said, turning the page.

Hermione touched her friends arm and stood up.

* * *

A while later, Hermione found herself at the door of the Room of Requirements. She had gone up seven stories, had to go down two and go back up a different way because of a stair-case, and gone back up two, then walked down this corridor three times. Paige was right. That was a damn far walk.

She pushed open the door and saw their pond, but it was empty. She sat under the tree, smoothing her skirt, and put her bag down next to her.

It was then that she realized how tired she was. She leaned her head back against the tree and closed her eyes.

"Not gonna fall asleep on me, are you, Granger?" a voice interrupted her peace. She opened her eyes slowly. Draco Malfoy was resting on his knees in front of her.

"Well, you were a little late," she said, smiling sleepily. He laughed.

"Actually, I was right on time. A little over eager, are we? I guess its natural to not be able to go that long without seeing me," he murmured. He placed his hands on either side of her and crawled closer to her, burying his face in her neck.

Hermione sighed, wishing all of her nerves were in her neck. "God, Malfoy. Narcissistic, are we? That's quite an ego you've got there," she said into his ear.

"Take a look at me, babe. Wouldn't you?" he whispered into her neck. She giggled. "Oh, God, did I just make Hermione Granger giggle? I'm getting better everyday!"

This time she laughed hysterically. "That...tickles..." she panted in between laughs. He breathed out on her neck, making her giggle more.

Malfoy started kissing her neck. She tried not to say anything, knowing it would just inflate his head, but couldn't hold it in for long.

"God...Malfoy..." she groaned, putting her hands on his shoulders and leaning into him. He pulled away from her and smirked.

"Ah knew you vouldn't be ehble to reezeest my charm," Draco said with a Transylvanian accent. He pinned her arms to the tree above her head and brought his lips down on hers. Hermione felt like she was falling through the sky and floating on a cloud all at once. Her body reacted, leaving her mind behind. Draco ran his hands down her arms and to her waist, moving them up and down along her torso. She wrapped her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers through his hair and pushing herself against him so she could be as close as possible. His hands started pulling her shirt out of her skirt experiencedly. Her ran his hands along her hips, one resting on her stomach and one on the small of her back. She wrapped her legs around his waist, permitting him to come as close to her body as possible. She was vaguely aware of his hands moving up her stomach. A quick flick and she felt her bra loosen. She lowered her arms and allowed him to slip it off before putting them back around his head.

"Ooooh...God...Malfoy...Draco...Oooh..." she moaned into his mouth, allowing him to do as he pleased with his hands. He took her opening her mouth as an invitation and slipped his tongue into her mouth. Suddenly, Hermione felt an--erm--pressure in between her legs that hadn't been there before. The Gryffindor realized what that 'pressure' was with a jolt. Coming back to reality, she realized what she was doing and pushed away, ignoring his "Awww, c'mon, Granger!"s. She kissed him on the cheek, stood up, pulled her robe back on, tucked her shirt back on, and swept out of the room without looking back. Hell, she was even smirking.

Draco watched her go, sighing in frustration. A glimpse of the Slytherin-esque smirk on her face made him harder than ever, and the fact that he hadn't been able to bag her right then an there baffled him. He scratched his head softly, staring after her. He leaned back against the tree.

A while later, he stood up, buttoning up his shirt. He grabbed his bag and walked out the door, returning to the real world.

* * *

They went on like this for the next few weeks, hurling insults at each other during the day, meeting in secret at night.

Paige and Hermione had made up, but it seemed like there was something she was hiding from her. Every morning, Paige got up at nine, an hour she had once complained was 'a horrid, indecent, miserable hour during which everyone should be asleep'. She was dressed in her Quidditch robes and heading out to the pitch by nine fifteen. This weirded Hermione out thoroughly. Paige had always thought of Quidditch as an afternoon sport. So, one morning, about a month after Paige starting these mid-morning excursions, Hermione decided to follow her.

She walked through the castle as usual, confidently, cheerfully, never once grumbling about the hour. It seemed that not many people left their common rooms at this hour, though, because she and Paige were alone in the corridors. She was walking--yes, she had gone to the Quidditch pitch. She was actually practicing in the morning? Hermione watched from the grounds about ten yards back from her friend, and she watched Paige mount her broom and kick off, seemingly alone. The brunette's eyes followed her friend, and she flew twice around the pitch before she was joined by someone else.

At first, Hermione couldn't figure out who it was. They were wearing--were those Slytherin robes! Yes, they were green! And then their hair--platinum blonde--caught the sun, and she could see it from where she was. Only one person had hair like that. It was Malfoy!

Hermione took a few steps closer, forgetting to conceal herself to the shadows. She was now in plain view, at the other end of the Quidditch pitch from her friends. She saw them fly around each other for a few moments, before Paige swung her leg over Malfoy's broom, hugging him tightly. Hermione jaw dropped.

_'No. Way. Malfoy is...cheating on me...with...Paige!'_

It was then that Malfoy turned around. He noticed her immediately. Eye contact broke her out of her trance, and she spun on her heel and stomped back towards the castle. She could hear their shouts of "Hermione!" and "Granger!" but she ignored them.

They caught up to her about halfway through the Main Hall. Malfoy grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"Look, that wasn't what it looked like," Paige said desperately.

"What do you think it looked like?" Hermione asked mock-converationally.

"Um...well, it looked...erm..." Paige stammered, not wanting to incriminate herself and her friend further.

"Thats what I thought. _Whore_," spat Hermione.

"If it looked like we were doing anything wrong, it wasn't what it looked like. If it looked like a conversation between two old friends, then, you win!" Malfoy said, still gripping her arm.

"Oh, yeah, I'm supposed to believe you?" Hermione snarled at the Slytherin.

"I don't see why you wouldn't," the blonde boy said. Hermione laughed out loud.

"That's rich, coming from you--a Death Eater, a Slytherin, a Malfoy!" Hermione said. Malfoy's eyes narrowed and he dropped her arm, taking a step away from her.

"That was low," Paige said in a low voice, glaring at her friend. "You may be mad at us, and it may have seemed like it, but we didn't do anything wrong. I didn't know that I wasn't allowed to hug my friends."

"Since when are you two friends! You got in a fight ages ago!" Hermione said, knowing she had gone too far. But she couldn't undo it now.

"Yeah, well, we made up about a month ago," Draco said.

"And neither of you thought of telling me this, even though it would have made things a lot simpler for me!" Hermione yelped. She wasn't sure how it would have made things simpler, but it sounded good.

"I don't know, I'm sorry, Hermione!" Paige said, wringing her hands. "Look, we should have told you, but its not like we were doing anything!"

Draco stepped forward. "Look. Paige was a big part of my life for the first eleven years, and I'm glad we made up. This past month we've been meeting every morning and talking. Not snogging. Not shagging. Talking. Trying to be as close as we used to be. I'm sorry we didn't tell you, I admit that was a mistake. But, Granger, you don't have to doubt me. I'm not going to cheat on you," he said, taking another step forward. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, pressing his mouth against hers. "I love you," he whispered into her mouth.

"Uh...guys?" Paige said nervously. They both looked up.

Well, it looked like a lot more people were up and roaming the castle at 10:30.


	14. The Following Morning

**Hello, putt-putt people! I just re-read my last chapter, and I want to apologize for all of the horrible fluff. I flinched just reading it! It seems I still have lingering symptoms of my Writers Block.**

**mOviAnGel,Kaci,blueskyshymoon08,Sull89,Anwen,Shadow and Rerapped,Sammi .J.,elle,Hermione-Granger-420,Steelo,secretspells311,lalla,soccerpixie3000,tiger-lily9240,siriusblackshottie,Slytherin in Mind--**

**thanks for the reviews! Love you guys!**

**Machiavellism--wow, your review was entertaining to read! haha, thanks so much. I'm glad someone likes my stuff that much! And yea, you're right, the Room of Requirements is usually put to an...unholy, shall we say?...use. I can't say mine won't be...but I though I oughta give it a little character, too. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. And wow, I never noticed to CrookshanksxFilch thing before! Sick.**

**Ilori--I must admit, I do often fall back on my evil tendencies. :-p**

**Still Can't Find What Keeps Me Here--I'm glad it works for someone! I love writing/reading fluff, but I hate reading my own! And thank you, I do try to keep them in character! I love Draco because he's so much more malleable, because you don't see any more of his dimensions, other than mean, in the books.

* * *

**

Hermione stood, frozen, for a second before turning on her heel and storming away. Malfoy hurried after Hermione as if he hadn't noticed his incredulous peers.

"Neh-heh-heh..." Paige said, clearing her throat. "Um...that was...uh...ah, fuck it." She took a step back and turned and ran towards her common room.

Draco lost Hermione, but had a feeling he knew where she was going. He swiftly walked up and down the seventh floor corridor three times before wrenching the door open and stepping inside.

He had been right. He stepped past the thick trees and saw Hermione sitting with her feet in the pond. He sat next to her, putting his feet in the water. He pulled Hermione onto his lap, so her feet were in the water in between his, and rested his chin on her shoulder. She said nothing, and he knew she must have forgiven him. He took her silence as an invitation to speak. Women liked to be comforted, didn't they? Isn't that what everyone always said?

"You alright, Granger?" he asked, turning his head slightly so he could look at her. He planted a gentle kiss on her jaw.

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have freaked out on you guys..." Hermione muttered after a moment.

"Y'know, I don't really mind. Actually, it's better now. I don't have to insult you all the time, and meet in secret. And if you're worried about what Scarhead and the Weasels have to say...well, why do you even care about those--"

"Malfoy! They're my friends! I don't go around insulting Crabbe and Goyle and Zabini and Parkinson, do I?" Hermione said angrily.

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "You don't?"

Hermione smiled guiltily. "OK, maybe a little."

"Good girl! Honesty is an admirable trait," Draco smiled and kissed her again, this time on the lips. "Now, let's go out there, and pretend that the day is a normal day. Except that...y'know, everyone knows about us."

Hermione smiled nervously and stood up. "Let's go..."

* * *

Well, Hermione didn't have any classes with Malfoy until after lunch.

"Uh, I have Care of Magical Creatures first today," Hermione said as they walked down the path towards the door.

"More like Care of Maniacal Creatures. Why didn't you quit that class, like everyone else did?" Draco said, rolling his eyes. "Especially with that oaf teaching it."

Hermione slapped his arm. "Stop it! You're mean."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her on the nose. "And you love me anyway. Isn't it great? Best of both worlds." Hermione shoved him playfully and walked off towards her class.

Hermione fell in stride with Paige at the doors to the grounds.

"How far has it gone?" Hermione asked her friend quietly.

"You don't wanna know."

"Oh, Merlin. That bad? Please don't tell me Harry and Ron know."

"Do you want to lie to you?"

"Merlin. I'm fucked."

"Wow, I'm having an influence on you! I love it."

"Shutup. Are they mad at me?"

"Think about it."

"Merlin."

It was then that the pair reached Hagrid's hut. Hermione spotted Harry and Ron and the two girls walked over to them.

"Hello," Hermione said nervously, biting her lip.

"Howsit hangin'?" Paige asked casually.

"You won't believe the rumor we heard, Hermione," Harry said.

"Yeah, you really won't. It's quite...crazy," Ron agreed. Hermione could hear the hope in their voices. They wanted her to tell them it wasn't true.

"Uh...what rumor? I haven't...heard anything...unusual..." she said slowly.

"Well, it concerns you and...Malfoy," Harry said. "That you're...involved. In...love, even."

Hermione looked to the ground. She heard Ron's gasp, and she saw his feet stamping away.

"I can't believe you, Hermione," Harry said slowly, before following his friend.

"Wait, Harry!" Hermione said, running after him.

Harry turned around, his eyes narrowed. "I have nothing to say to you."

* * *

On the other side of the school, in Charms, Draco was telling his friends what had happened. They, though, were taking it rather well.

"Nice going, Malfoy. The Mudblood has gotten much better looking. I'll be the first to say congrats," Blaise said, clapping his friend on the back.

"Will you ask her to set me up with Paige?" Sam asked the blonde. "C'mon, you don't have any excuses anymore, you guys are friends now!"

"Oh, shutup about her. Seriously, it gets annoying," Draco said wearily.

Crabbe and Goyle were smiling, and seeing that that was about the extent of happy anything coming from them, Draco was pleased.

"There, Goyle, now you can have Pansy," Draco said. Goyle's smile widened ever so slightly.

Draco and pals celebrated by hexing first years who were scurrying around down on the grounds through an open window.

* * *

After Magical Creatures, Hermione went to Herbology, and Draco had a free period. Herbology was just as bad as CoMC had been, with Harry and Ron ignoring her, and everyone else questioning her about Malfoy. No one else seemed to be mad at her, they just seemed to think she had gone bonkers. But by the end of the lesson, she had confirmed that she could still count Lavender, Parvati, Seamus, Dean, Neville, Ernie, Hannah, Paige, and Justin as her friends. But they weren't the ones who mattered.

"Class dismissed!" Sprout called.

Hermione and Paige were among the last to walk out of the building.

"I'm not exactly looking forward to lunch," Hermione said to her friend.

"Why not?" said a voice. The voice's arm snaked around her waist. "You get to spend it looking at me."

Hermione and Paige laughed, and Hermione play shoved Draco. "Egotistical prat."

He smirked and kissed her on the cheek. "That I am. So, how did the pallies take it? Mine took it awfully well. I'm almost positive Blaise will have a muggleborn girlfriend by this evening."

Hermione tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace.

"Ah, that bad? Well, Saint Potter and his Weaselly Side-Kick were never the most open minded," Draco said seriously, tightening his grip on her waist.

"That, coming from you, Draco?" Paige asked cheekily, smiling.

"Sod off, Paige," Draco said playfully. "I'm with my girlfriend right now, if you didn't notice."

"Cheers," Paige said, and walked off towards the Great Hall.

Hermione nuzzled her head into Draco's shoulder.

"What are we gonna do for lunch?" Hermione asked.

"You don't honestly expect me to sit with those Gryffindors, do you? C'mon, Granger, I though you were smart!" Draco said laughingly.

"And you think I'm going to sit with the Slytherins?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Why not? At least they don't want to kill you--well, not all of them."

"Is that even allowed?" Hermione said, considering.

"I dunno. Probably not," Draco said nonchalantly, shrugging.

"I think I'm going to stick with the Gryffindor table. Sorry," Hermione said, tucking her hands into one of the pockets in his cloak. "Merlin, it's getting cold out! I can't believe it's Halloween tomorrow."

"Neither can I. Can you believe we wrote each other for a whole month without figuring out who we were?" he asked.

Hermione laughed. "I wouldn't have believed it even if you had told me."

They finally reached the Great Hall. They walked in slowly, Draco not letting go of Hermione's waist until they had to part to go to their two separate tables.

As he walked to his table, Draco was thinking, _'Funny. She didn't notice that my hand was on her ass all the way inside from the greenhouses.'_

Hermione, walking to hers, was thinking, _'I wonder if he knew his hand was on my bum?'_


	15. Giving In

Hey there!  
Dayum, I've been gone for a long time. I couldn't think of anything! This is the first time I've written like I have in this chapter. 

**Word of warning: This chapter is rated M.**

OH! And I want you to read this story:  
Guess Who, Anyone?  
by: Peruvian Powder of DOOM!  
Me and my (ex-step-)sister and co-writing it, and its really cool!

_Also, will you please tell me if you would like me to reply to your Reviews? If you could put 'Answer, Please' or 'RES' at the end, I will respond. Otherwise, it kind of takes a lot of time. If you would like me to keep answering them, go ahead and say so, and I will!_

**ON TO THE QUIZCAVE!**

* * *

The rest of the day went by as normally as possible for two former enemies who suddenly became an item that everyone found out about. Hermione tried relentlessly to get Harry and Ron to talk to her, but they were obstinant in their refusal of her apologies and explanations. 

That evening Hermione went to the Room of Requirement like she did every evening. Malfoy wasn't there yet, as usual, so she went into a corner of the room, where she knew (from experience) that the grass was softest. She curled up and closed her eyes, waiting for the telltale footsteps that would be Draco.

Finally, they arrived. She stretched and stood up. Suddenly, Malfoy was upon her. They were kissing, and he was unbuttoning her shirt.

"Ohhh, Draco..." she moaned. His arrogant smirk grew wider and he ran his hands up and down her sides, pausing to massage her breasts. He started kissing her neck, slyly sliding one hand down her stomach, slipping it inside the waistband of her skirt, pushing past her panties. She couldn't help moaning. He slid his fingers down along her, inside of her. She gave in, clinging to him, clutching his hair, his neck. Suddenly, he was shaking her. Shaking, shaking. She wondered why. She started to open her eyes to see what was the matter.

She was being shaken awake.

"Hermione?"

"Bleahhghuuuuuuhhhnnnn..." she groaned.

"Wake up."

She sat up, blushing crimson. She could feel a monstrous, mortifying wet spot inbetween her legs, soaking her knickers through, spreading to her skirt.

"You were dreaming about me," he said. Why was he so sure of himself?

"No!" she lied. How could he know?

"You were moaning my name. And I know that smell a mile away. You were! Why won't you let me do that to you in real life?" he pouted, slipping his hand around her waist.

"You know why."

"No, I honestly don't! I love you, you love me. I want to give you the pleasure, and I know now for sure that you want it," he said, nuzzling her neck, dipping his fingers into the waistband of her skirt, eerily like in the dream. "You want me to touch you here...and here...and there..."

She moaned at the thought, wondering if it would be as good in real life as it was in the dream.

"See, you want it. Why are you denying yourself? I don't like it when you do that. It makes me sad," he said, knowing he had already won. He smiled at her and kissed her lightly. She kissed him back, nodding and giving in.

* * *

About an hour later, Hermione crept back into her room, wishing she were still with Malfoy. How did he know how to do those things? How was he so good at making her click, getting his way? 

She shivered and the memory, and at the thought of the next night, and the night after that. No, she hadn't given her whole self to him, but damn near, and she couldn't wait to do it again.

* * *

Yes, I know it was short, but I couldn't think of anything to do for this chapter! I'm leading slowly to the next drama, and just putting in filler entertainment for now. :) 


	16. A New Kind of Fun

**SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG! I LOVE YOU ALL!**

**Thank you all so much for reviewing! Again, just write 'RES' (respod) if you want my to reply to your review!  
Or just let me know if you think I should go back to answering all of them.**

**I'm taking votes! Majority takes all.**

**I've decided to go in a different direction with this story. Less angsty-type stuff. More fun. :)**

**This chapter does include illegal acivity, so if it offends you, I'm sorry.**

**REVIEW RESPONSES**

**MIDNIGHT-PIXIE, ilori,siriusblackshottie,AnastriannaRomanov,secretspells311--**

**GOD! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! You don't even know!**

**Tryix-Haha, I totally know the feeling. :)**

**BlubbersBestBud-Don't roll over, you'll make a perfectly good footstool on your hands and knees.**

**:-P I'm totally just joking. :):):):) thank you so much, I loved reading your review.**

**I love your name:-P**

**The Queen of Duct Tape-I had so much trouble with this chapter, you don't even know! I feel so bad for waiting for so long!**

**But seriously, thank you for reading. (That goes for everyone!)**

**This chapter is more filler. :-P**

**Anwen-Thanks! I wasn't too into that chapter, but I'm glad all of you guys were:-P**

**Steelo-I agree. I love getting responses too. But if some people don't really care, it would give me more time to work on the story and take overall less time for me. But I love getting reviews, and I like answering them, so it's really up to the users. :)**

**Snow Mouse-Yeah, I agree, I did think of that. But then I realized it was like midnight and I had school tomorrow, so I didn't. Sorry!

* * *

A few weeks later, Hermione sat in the library, sitting at a desk next to Draco. His arm was slung over her shoulders, and his head was back, his mouth open, snoring lightly. She looked at him and giggled quietly. He looked so...un-Malfoy-like. She leaned up and kissed his cheek, causing him to stir. He opened one eye and smiled at her. **

Suddenly, she spotted the corner of a plastic bad sticking out of the pocket inside his cloak.

"What's--" she mumbled, reaching for it. Draco suddenly became wide awake, jerking away from her, and grabbing her hand as if she had been asking him to hold it.

She smiled in a condescending way and took on the look of a kindergarden teacher scolding a naughty student. "What's in your pocket, Malfoy?"

"My pocket?" he asked, looking in his pockets. "Oh, just an old bag of dungbombs Sam gave me, nothing special..."

She would have believed him, if it weren't for the fact that she knew Sam would be less likely to give away free dungbombs than Draco would be to accept something used.

"I don't believe you."

"Well, you should," he said, smiling disarmingly. He leaned forward, kissing her cheek. "Well, I've got to run--I told Sam I'd meet him at the pitch--ten minutes ago."

He took off, practically running, towards the Slytherin common room.

She sighed, gathering her stuff, and walked out of the library, heading towards the Gryffindor tower.

* * *

About an hour later, Paige showed up, freshly showered, for once. 

"God, Harry is the devil once you give him authority," she huffed, collapsing on her bed and assuming her normal akward-looking-but-actually-comfortable position. "Never sign up for anything he's leading--at least, not anything physical."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Then she remembered what she had been planning on asking Paige.

"Hey, you don't happen to know anything about Draco's...hobbies...that I should know about, do you?" Hermione asked.

Paige suddenly turned a pale shade of red, and pulled her t-shirt away from her neck. "Me, know? No, no!" she squeaked, forcing a smile.

"Paige..." Hermione said, assuming her teacher look again.

Paige wilted. She wanted to tell her, but...this was Hermione. She wouldn't understand.

"Well, you see, the thing is..." Paige muttered, looking down. "I can't tell you."

"And why is that?" Hermione said.

"Because you don't have an open-mind, because you think everything should be by the rules, because it's never just about the fun for you," Paige said. There was no one quite like her for just saying it.

"Excuse me? I have an open mind! I break rules sometimes!" Hermione said indignantly.

"Yeah, when it's a life or death matter! But it's never about just flowing for you. That's the difference. I love you, but you're just not...chill, like you need to be to get it," Paige said.

"I am so!" Hermione insisted. Paige shook her head.

"Fine, if you really want to know what that was, I'll tell you. But if you report this to McGonagall or whatever, say good-bye to boyfriend, best friends," Paige said.

"Best friends? Harry and Ron know about this too?" Hermione was starting to get worried.

"Yeah, almost everyone at school does," Paige laughed. She was rummaging in her trunk. She muttered a few odd words, and suddenly, out of nowhere, a box appeared in her hands. Paige sat back on her bed, opening the box "C'mere."

Hermione walked slowly to Paige's bed, worried yet curious. Inside she saw a colorful glass thing with a small hole at one end, and a big hole at the other. There were also a few little baggies filled with what looked like tiny, chopped up peices of broccoli.

Paige picked up the glass thing. "This is what you would call a pipe," she said, with the air of someone teaching a pre-schooler. She pulled out one of the little peices of broccoli. "This goes by many names, including a nug of bud, dank, hash, pot, and weed." She put the 'nug' into the big hole and pulled out a lighter. She lit the nug and sucked hard for a minute before pulling away from the pipe and holding her breath. Hermione could see her eyes water. Finally, Paige coughed up smoke all over the place. She smiled like a cat and held the pipe out slowly to Hermione.

Hermione stared at it, horrified. She shook her head fiercely. Paige shrugged, mumbled, "More for me," and took another hit. Lavender came in and said, "Share!" and sat down with Paige.

Right about then is when she got out of there.

* * *

Hermione walked swiftly through the castle, down, down, down, all the way to the Dungeons. She walked up to the portrait she knew to be the entryway to the Slytherin common room and knocked hard. 

A very red-eyed Pansy pushed the portrait open and stared at Hermione, shocked, before giggling. Hermione pushed past her and marched up the stares, only vaguely aware of where she was. She pushed open the door of the boy's dormitory that read '6' and stepped in. Draco, Sam Spiel, and Blaise Zabini were all sitting in a circle, which had one open spot, that had obviously been Pansy's only a minute ago, passing around one of those pipe things. Draco looked up, his eyes, wide, and dropped the pipe, which he had been about to light. Sam jumped forward and grabbed it, smiling happily, staring at it transfixed.

Draco stood up, stumbling forward. "'Granger...!" he said anxiously. She narrowed her eyes.

"Did you not tell me about this because you don't think I'm open minded, and because I don't break rules?" she demanded angrily, poking him in the chest. He stared at her, clearly shocked at her response, which was really not what he had been expecting.

"No, he didn't told you because he didn't want you to get mad!" Sam said loudly.

Blaise punched his arm. "Duh, dipshit, he thought she would get mad because of she being...unopenminden...unopened..un--"

"Ooh, goody, what drama did I miss?" Pansy said eagerly, walking through the door. "I a-door drama! Get it! Cause I just walked through the door!"

The four Slytherins started laughing hysterically. Draco actually had to lean up against the wall to keep from falling over.

"Oh my God, you're totally stoned!" she said.

He nodded sheepishly and motioned at Sam to hand him the pipe. He held it out to her. She shook her head.

"Oh, come on, you're Pothead's best friend! Don't act like you never do this," Pansy said.

Hermione looked at her sharply. "What?" she demanded.

"Oh, you didn't know? Him and that Raynolds girl and Weasley get stoned all the time," Pansy mumbled.

"Reynolds," Sam corrected.

"Right."

Hermione looked around. Everyone else did it. Why was she so ignorant? Was she really such a prude? She bit her lip.

"You're so hot when you do that," Draco breathed, leaning forward and kissing her hard. He pulled back after a minute and held out the pipe again.

She nodded.

"What the hell? Everyone else seems to have gone insane, why shouldn't I?" she rolled her eyes and stuck the pipe into her mouth, leaning forward for Draco to light it for her.

* * *

Hermione walked through the halls of the school with Draco and his crowd. His arm was around her waist, and she was tucked into him like a permanent fixture. Her face felt like it was about to burst, she was smiling so much. Her body felt so...glittery. And everything was so funny, and so good. 

Ah. Now we know where Paige gets her personality from.

"Granger, you're really not so bad," Pansy said. Hermione smiled at her, and Pansy smiled back. Being the only girls there, they had chatted a lot.

This was most definitely not a normal day.

Upon entering the Great Hall, where they had to go their seperate ways, Draco planted a big kiss on Hermione's lips, which she gladly returned. She almost noticed the collective gasp from the Great Hall.

She walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down.

"Hey, Paige," she yawned loudly, stretching her arms above her head. "Man, am I hungry."

She began piling food into her plate and dug in. Paige, Lavender, Ginny, and Parvati were all staring at her. Ron and Harry were too, from down the table.

"Whaaaaaaaat?" she asked, drawing out her 'a' and pulling a face.

Paige leaned over and whispered in her ear, "You have got to be the most obvious stoned person I have ever seen."

Hermione giggled and waved at Harry and Ron, who were now trying to hold back laughs. "Oh, har-har. I've heard wonderful stories about you guys from Blaise and Sam!"

They started laughing even harder and pointing out memories to each other. She got up, walked around the table, and sat down with them.

"Forgive me? C'mon, if you guys have seriously been hanging out with them since fourth year, why can't I?" she whined loudly.

"Well, we don't go with bloody Ferret Boy," Harry muttered.

"Oh, shutup already. I never liked Cho that much, but I put up with her!" Hermione said.

Harry rolled his eyes, but scooted over to make more room for her.

She smiled so much her face felt like it were going to crack in half.

* * *

**A/N: So, I've decided to take this story in a new direction. I don't want all these problems with Draco and Hermione. That gets old. I was seriously having SO much trouble with this chapter, I wrote it so many times. So now I'm just not going to give myself that option, and I'm just going to post it as soon as I write it!**

**TAKE THAT, Writers Block!**


	17. Caught in the Act

**Wow, so many people were like "AHEOUNCJADSNFOKNGIUSNASKFD!" about that last chapter! But don't worry, that was just a part of the story that I needed. I already have the next drama starting. Yay! No more filler entertainment for now!**

**On to the Quizcave!

* * *

**

"Never. Again. Never again," Hermione said to Paige, burying her face in her pillow. Paige laughed.

"Why not?" Paige asked.

"Just...no! Just don't offer that stuff to me anymore, ok?" Hermione asked.

"Sure. It's your deal. It's not me you'll have trouble shaking off, I don't even do it that much," she laughed. "I'm gonna go play Quidditch. If you see the boys, lettem know I'd like some company."

Hermione nodded. About a half of an hour later, at 10:30, Hermione walked downstairs, thanking Merlin it was a Saturday. She joined Harry and Ron on the couch in the common room.

"Hey, stoner," Harry laughed as she sat down. She threw him a death glare.

"I will never touch that. Ever again," she said.

"Aw, c'mon, Hermione. It's just a little harmless fun!" Ron laughed.

"Harmless? I'll have you know, it--" Hermione began. Harry cut her off.

"We know, kills brain cells, makes you fat, yadda, yadda. It's not that bad."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine, ruin your own lives. Just don't try to get me to do it anymore, alright?"

Harry and Ron nodded.

"Oh, yeah, Paige wants you guys to join her on the Quidditch pitch," Hermione said, before leaving the common room.

* * *

_Slap_!

Hermione whirled around, grabbing her butt and swiping in the nearest person's general direction.

"Malfoy! Don't do that!" she cried, blushing. Draco laughed and kissed her lightly.

"Oh, dear me. I'm so sorry!" he chuckled. "What say you and I ditch breakfast and go up to my room for a--"

"No!" she said loudly. "I don't ever want to do that again!"

"Awww..." Draco pouted. "Why not?"

"Because I made a total jack-arse of myself!"

"A very cute jack-arse, though," he said, kissing her again.

She hmphed. He laughed, grabbing her hand. They walked down the hall, holding hands.

Suddenly, Draco pushed her into an empty classroom and shut the door.

"Malfoy, what are you doing?"

He motioned for her to sit on a desk against the wall.

"Look, I know you don't want to be a part of this anymore, but I need for you to do me the greatest favor."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What is it?"

"Can you just bring this to Paige? Please? I think Dumbledore's starting to get suspicious of me and Sam and them. I've already talked to Paige about this, she said she could hold it for me. Pwitty pweeese?" he pouted.

Hermione bit her lip anxiously. She didn't want anything to do with the stuff, but more than that, she didn't want Malfoy to get kicked out of school...

"Oh, you can't? Then I'll have to hold onto it for the rest of the day. But I think I'm getting searched today...But, I'll figure something out, if it makes you uncomfortable..." Draco said, looking away from her.

Hermione bit her lip harder. She wasn't likely to be searched or even suspected, it was the least she could do for him...

"Ok, I'll hold it," she announced decisively.

Draco turned around, beaming.

"Oh, you will? Thank you SO much, I love you SO much, you have NO idea!" he exclaimed. He pressed a plastic baggie into her hand at the same time as kissing her passionately. She stuck it in her pocket and kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. He ran his hands up from her hips to her breasts, massaging the area around them lightly. She ran her hands through his hair, kissing him more deeply. He ran his hands back down to the hem of her skirt, inching them up along her thighs. He was about to reach her panties, when--

"Mr. Malfoy! Miss Granger!"

Both heads jerked up to see Professor McGonagall looking at them from the doorway. She took two steps toward them as Draco jumped backwards off of Hermione, while Hermione jerked her skirt down and smoothed her hair.

"Do either of you care to explain?" McGonagall asked. Then, as if in slow motion, her head turned downwards towards the plastic bag that was sticking out of Hermione's pocket. She reached over and plucked it out, examining it carefully. "And what is this?"

"I--uhh-I--" Hermione started.

"Miss Granger, if you'd please follow me," McGonagall said disappointedly. Draco stepped forward, starting to say something. "Mr. Malfoy, if you'd please stay out of this."

Hermione, head hung in shame, sniffling, followed her favorite professor slowly. Draco tried to grab her hand, to stop her, but she jerked out of reach, avoiding his gaze.

And then, she was gone.

* * *

"HOLY SHIT!" Draco yelled, skidding to a stop in the locker rooms off of the Quidditch pitch. Sure enough, there were Sam, Blaise, Pansy, Paige, Potter, and Weasley, hitting off of HIS pipe. If he hadn't been in such a panic, he would have made a snide comment about what a 'group' they were becoming.

"Whaaaaaaat, Draco?" Paige asked slowly.

"Hermoine got caught with my stuff! By McGonagall!"

Everyone suddenly snapped to attention.

"What are you saying, Malfoy?" Potter said angrily.

"You got Hermione in trouble, you prick?" Weasley said furiously.

"Oh my Gawd, that's priceless!" Pansy said hysterically.

"Dude...that sucks," Sam said unfocusedly.

"Did they take your stuff, mate?" Blaise said confusedly.

"You've gotta go tell them it's yours," Paige said calmly.

"WHAT? What if they expel him!" Pansy cried.

"Well, it is his! And I know Hermione, she'd take the rap for anyone she cares about, and she really doesn't deserve that," Paige said.

"YEAH! Yeah, asshole! Go tell them it's yours!" Ron said.

Draco sighed. He knew he'd have no way to not do it now that they'd all talked about it.

Well, shit.

* * *

"Miss Granger, I really thought better of you than this," Professor Dumbledore said sadly. Hermione hung her head, tears pouring down her face.

"I'm really sorry, professor!"

"I almost...don't believe it's yours, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said.

Hermione avoided eye contact. "It's mine, sir. It-it's all m-mine."

"Are you sure, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore said kindly.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and a flushed Draco was followed in by an indignant looking Filch.

"It's mine! It's not Hermione's! She was holding it for me!"

Hermione stood up. "Malfoy! Stop it!"

He sighed. _'Wow, this whole 'hero' thing is pretty cool. No wonder Potter does it so much.'_

He walked over to her. "No. This is stupid, it's my stuff. You shouldn't be punished for trying to help me, you shouldn't let this get in the way of you being a Prefect, and you being Head Girl next year, and all that. Let me deal with this, okay?"

She smiled slightly. He wiped a tear off her cheek and kissed her.

"Miss Granger, I guess you are dismissed," Dumbledore said gravely. "Please, sit down, Mr. Malfoy."

Hermione hugged Draco quickly before exiting, sitting down outside the door to wait.


	18. Resolved?

**I very definitely told all of you that I would be taking this in a new direction.**

**I feel the only way to stay in the realistic, tied to the books realm of Harry Potter fanfiction is to continue on with the "Lucius is scary," "Voldie wants my baby," "Snape tells daddy," or the ever-popular, "Pansy kills Hermione but Draco's true love brings her back to life" story lines.**

**And I SO do not want that. So my story is going to have a series of drama's based on things going on with people I know, see, or read about. Of course, majorly editted.**

**This is only one string of drama, so of course, the story will go on, whether or not I decide to expel Draco.**

**I really appreciate your reviews, especially those of you who were explaining how you felt on this chapter. Lucky for you, though, the last chapter was my last one that included drug use. Drugs will be mentioned, of course, because that's what's going on right now, but it will be over within the next few chapters.**

**I still haven't decided whether to expel Draco or not.**

**This one might be kind of cheesy and slightly unrealistic, but I know how it feels to have something horrible going on in a fic, and I've lost sleep over plenty of them. I feel obligated to at least START winding this drama down.**

**Thanks.**

**ON TO THE QUIZCAVE.

* * *

**

A while later, Draco stepped out of the office. Hermione jumped up and hugged him tightly. She started to ask, but he shook his head and motioned to the staircase. They descended the staircase silently.

As soon as they stepped off the bottom step, Hermione stopped.

"What did you do that for!" she exclaimed.

"What, did you expect me to just let you take the fall for me?" he asked. She gave him a look. "Yeah, OK, I know. They were all talking about how I had to do it. How would it have looked if I had just flat out refused?"

She rolled her eyes, but kissed him anyway. "What's your punishment?"

"Ugh, it's so cheesy. There's going to be some ceremony with Dumbledore and Snape, because he's my head of house, and McGonagall, because she's the one who caught me. I've got to put that old Hat on and it'll decide whether I'm truly sorry and if I've truly reverted. And if I get to stay, Snape has to test me once a month to see if I've been smoking."

"Eeeew! Like a pee test?" Hermione asked. He gave her a weird look.

"Pee test? No. Ew. What are you talking about? I just have to stick my finger into a potion."

"Oh. Muggles have to pee into a cup to see if they've been doing drugs."

"Do you see why I hate mug--think muggles are not smart?" he said, correcting himself at her look. She sighed.

"It's not like they exactly know about potions. And if it works, why is it stupid?"

He laughed and pulled her against him. "I just saved your ass. Stop talking and start making up for it."

She smiled and kissed him.


	19. The Hearing

Draco tossed and turned in his bed. He looked over at the clock.

4:01

Four hours, fifty-nine minutes until his hearing.

_'What will I do if I'm expelled? What will Hermione do? What will my friends do? Will it kill my mom? She's already in Mungo's permanently. Really, what difference would it make?'_

4:05

He wanted to get up. He wanted to go see Hermione. He wanted to fly. He wanted to do something to occupy his time until the hearing. He got up and paced across the room.

4:07

Pacing, pacing...jogging, sprinting. Counting his steps, his breaths. Anything to save himself from the boredom. Jumping jacks.

Ooof.

He fell to the ground, a sudden pain in his head. He lay sprawled for a moment before sitting up, rubbing his head and looking around. He found a book--Quidditch Through the Ages. He looked in the cover. Blaise's copy.

"Don't throw books at me, you motherfu--"

A book hit the back of his head

"Go to sleep!"

He turned around, scowling. He picked that book up and looked in the cover. Sam's.

He rolled his eyes and got back into bed.

4:16.

He rolled over and thought about Hermione. Her hair, her smile. Her body. The way she'd tried to take the blame for him. That smirk she'd given him the other day.

4:23

He got up and left the room. Walking as slowly as he could, he entered the bathroom. He took a piss in what he felt like record time, of course when he wanted to go slowly.

He looked at the clock on the wall--

4:31.

He closed his eyes and leaned against the stall.

This sucked.

* * *

Hermione awoke at 5:30. A half of an hour earlier than usual.

She leapt out of bed, nervous. What was going to happen?

What would she do if he were expelled?

_I'm going to leave with him if they kick him out!_

**You wouldn't. You don't have what it takes.**

_Yes I do!_

**No you don't. Besides, what would Paige and Harry and Ron and Ginny do without you?**

_I don't care! They can't kick Malfoy out!_

**Um...hello? He was doing drugs!**

_I don't care! SHUT UP! I'm going with him!_

**Like he'd let you.**

_Uggggghhh! Shutupshutupshutup!_

Hermione's inward battle continued like this all the time she got ready.

She decided to dress in all of Draco's favorite things. She left her hair down and soft, magicking it to be a bit calmer. She wore her oldest skirt, which was from third year, and the shirt, Paige's shirt, she'd been wearing when they first got together, that day in Hogsmeade. She wore the cloak he'd lent her a few weeks ago and never asked for back. It had a slytherin clasp on it, but she hadn't really noticed.

She glanced at the clock.

6:07.

She walked to the Owlery, not surprised to see no one walking the halls but her. She wrote a quick note, tied it onto Hermes' leg, and sent him off.

* * *

After a long, heated battle with his insomnia, he admitted defeat and gave over to consciousness. He got ready, dressing as he always did, although he secretly put Hermione's Gryffindor scarf in his pocket for luck. Maybe it would help him somehow.

He walked back into his room, pushing his hair out of his eyes. He slumped on his bed when an owl suddenly flew through the window, landing on him. It was Hermes, he recognized.

He pulled the letter from Hermes' leg and shooed him out the window. He opened the letter.

_Malfoy,_

_I know you're awake. Meet me in the library._

_Love,  
__Hermione_

Draco laughed and stuffed the letter in his pocket with the scarf, heading out of the common room.

* * *

"Ah, I knew you'd be awake," Hermione said, standing up and kissing him hello. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist and she pulled away, kissing her again. She giggled and kissed him one more time before wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. "What am I going to do if you're expelled?"

"You're going to stay here and write me every day, that's what," he said. He knew she'd want to come with him and there was no way he was allowing it.

"But can't I--"

"No. You belong here. You're _Hermione Granger_, for Merlin's sake. I can always come visit you on Hogsmeade weekends and such," he said soothingly into her ear.

"That's not enough, you prick! You've turned me into a Malfoy-junkie! Then you've had to go and get yourself in trouble, if you'd just have let me take the blame, they probably wouldn't have expelled me!"

"Well, we don't know what's going to happen yet. And why am I being the comforting voice here? I'm the one who might be expelled!" he said.

She sniffed. "You're right. I'm sorry." She shivered and reached her hands into his pockets, like she always did when she was cold. She felt her scarf and pulled it out.

"I've been looking for that!" she said, smiling and slipping the scarf back into his pocket. He fingered the clasp on her cloak with one hand. "I've been looking for this." He smiled and kissed her softly.

"What are you doing in here at this hour?" a sharp voice suddenly said.

Draco and Hermione looked up to see Madame Pince stading over them--well, standing over Hermione and not quite reaching Draco's height.

"Err--does the library not open until a certain hour?" Draco asked quizically.

Hermione frowned, thinking.

"I--uhh-I, um...well! I have no idea! It's not often I get students in here at six in the morning!" Madame Pince said huffily, stalking off. Draco and Hermione laughed silently, walking out of the library.

"Breakfast?" Hermione asked? "It's probably early enough that we could sit together without being noticed." Draco nodded.

They ate slowly, leaving only when the first other student walked into the Great Hall. From there, they went to the Room of Requirement, where they just hung out and fooled around.

Hermione pulled back from a particularly twitchy kiss, annoyed but understanding that he must be incredibly nervous. She looked at his watch.

"It's 8:30. We should go."

He nodded, turning a delicate shade of green, and stood up. He walked straight out the door, not bothering to wait for her.

A few minutes later, she caught up with him. "Thanks so much for waiting. I know you're nervous, but you don't have to be an asshole!"

"Shut up, Granger. I'm not in the mood. Go study or something," he snarled.

"Fuck you!" she said angrily. "I don't know if you couldn't tell, but I'm on your side!" He ignored her and kept walking. "Fine!" she yelled after him, and stormed off in the other way.

**Nice going, asshole.**

_Shut up. Stupid Mudblood needs to learn her place._

**Do you really think so?**

_Yeah, I do!_

**No you don't.**

_Yeah!_

**Nope.**

_Shut up. She didn't have to be so bitchy._

**You didn't have to be such an asshole.**

_I hate you._

**Good, hating yourself shows obvious signs of guilt. You should go talk to her.**

_What and blow off the meeting? Yeah, that's smart._

**After, dumbass.**

_Why should I?_

**Um, I don't know, maybe because you love her?**

_I hate you.

* * *

"Draco Malfoy, here today under the possibility of expulsion for furnishing Class C drug marijuana on campus. Do you admit to this, Draco Malfoy?" asked Ministry Official Turbus Adgin. Draco nodded. Adgin continued. "We may be able to work out a deal with you. If you give us names of other students using the drug on campus, your spot in this school will be kept and you shall be forgiven. If you refuse to do so I shall punish you accordingly."_

Draco gulped. Sacrifice himself, or sacrifice his friends? Of course his friends. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Ha--" Suddenly, Hermione's face appeared into his mind quite clearly. She was crying, watching her friends leave the school. She was turning on him, screaming at him, leaving him.

Sacrifice himself, or sacrifice Granger?

"I don't know of anyone else at this school, sir." Draco said, closing his eyes. Damn her.

"You are aware that we think you're lying?" Adgin said. Draco nodded. "Well, then, Mr. Malfoy. You are expelled. Please bring your wand here."

"No. Adgin, I think we could work something out. I believe you remember a few years ago when--"

"What ideas do you have, Albus?" Adgin said, blushing.

* * *

Hermione fisted tears away from her eyes.

**Are you seriously going to hold that against him?**

_Yes!_

**You know the pressure he's been under! For Merlin's sake, girl!**

_He'll never change!_

**He already has. Are you blind?**

_I don't care!_

**Are you stupid? He loves you more than anything else. You're all he's got.**

_He's still a git!_

**He's your git. Don't you get it? Maybe you really are stupid. He's protecting himself from his love. If he convinces himself you're the stupid Mudblood he used to know, leaving the school won't be nearly as hard. It just shows how much he really loves you.**

_Shut up! Why do you think you're so frigging smart?_

**Because I am.**

_Cocky! You remind me of Malfoy!_

**You're beginning to remind yourself of Malfoy, you mean?**

_Shut up!_

**Go find him. He needs support.**

_Ugh. I hate you._

But nevertheless, Hermione doubled back. She worked her way up to Dumbledore's office, giving the password. She sat down in front of Dumbledore's office door, trying to hear what was going on.

* * *

An hour later, Draco walked out of Dumbledore's office alone. Hermione jumped up, but didn't say anything, didn't look him in the eye.

"I'm so sorry, Granger. I didn't mean to say that, you've no idea the stress I've been under," Draco said softly. She was still looking down, so he reached out and gently pushed her chin up so she was facing him. "Granger, say something. Please. I love you more than anything I've ever known, and it scares me a little bit."

"I love you too, Malfoy, but stress doesn't give you the right to be a prat," she said. He nodded, whispered sorry one more time, and kissed her.

A minute later, she pulled away. "What's going to happen?"

"Long story. Can I tell you as we walk?" he asked. She nodded.

"So at first, they were going to expel me if I didn't give names."

Hermione gasped. "That's so unfair!"

"So I said I didn't know anyone else who did it here, and naturally they didn't believe me. But I wouldn't budge, so they said they were going to expel me. Then Dumbledore, who it appears, helped the Ministry Official out of a tight spot a few years ago, offered a different solution than expelling me."

"So?" she asked, stopping.


	20. And the Verdict Is

**This is going to be a short one. And it's not that great because I'm writing through my writers block, which seems to just live with me by now :-P And I got in trouble, so that's why the chapters are so few and far between. But I just got my computer back, so it should go a lot faster from now on!**

* * *

Draco turned around, pouting. He leaned back against the wall, pulling her to him.

"Do we have to talk about it right now? You should help me calm my nerves. Let's go to the Room of Requirement?" he asked, pressing his mouth against hers.

"No way. That's not fair!" she whined against his mouth. "You tell me right now, Draco Malfoy!"

He sighed and pulled away. "Fine..."

He let go of her body, and she took a tiny step back, waiting.

"I'm not expelled, but I'm suspended until after Christmas break. I have to keep up with all of my studies and homework, though, without teachers. They send me the work and I have to complete it."

Hermione smiled. "That's not bad at all! You're actually really lucky."

Draco rolled his eyes, smirking. He knew she was going to say that. He stood up and walked down the hall. She followed.

"Honestly, you can't complain about your punishment. You did break the rules, not to mention the law."

He kept walking in silence.

"I'd actually say you got off much better than I thought you would."

Draco walked on, staring ahead.

"Really, it's more than most would ask for."

He kept on, his smirk invisible to her.

"Draco stop being silent! I hate it when you go all silent! This can't be going any worse than you thought it would!"

He laughed and turned around, wrapping his arms around her waist and tugging her against him.

"The only thing I'm upset about is the fact that I'm not going to see you for two whole months. I don't know if I'll live!" he ended dramatically, stepping away from her and pushing his hands against his heart.

"Shut up! Don't makeme feel all bad like that!" she said, slapping him.

"No, really, I agree that it's a light punishment,but I honestly don't know how I'll make it two whole months without seeing you," he said, pulling her too him again and kissing her neck.

"I'm sure they'll agree that you need a...tutor," she whispered. He stopped.

"You see why you're mine? 'Cause you're a fuckin' genius. I love you," he said into her ear. Her breath caught inher throat as hebacked her up against the wall, kissing her. She ran her hands through his hair as his hands slid under her shirt, over her stomach...

"Ahem," a stern voice said behind them. They sprang apart and looked sheepishly at Professor McGonagall. "Mr. Malfoy, I suggest you go start packing your things. Your leaving time is in one hour." Draco kissed Hermione quickly and started off, and McGonagall called after him. "Mr. Malfoy, I don't know if you'll be able to keep up with your studies. You might want to arrange for a tutor with Professor Dumbledore."

And with what looked like a small smile, Professor McGonagall stalked off. Draco and Hermione looked at each other, grinning in incredulity.


	21. Of Crazy Old Wenches and Comfort

**Gahhh. Sorry it's been so long, AGAIN! I'm so awful at this.****

* * *

"You lucky bitch. How did you manage this?" Paige asked incredulously. She rolled over in her bed to look at Hermione.**

"Well," Hermione said, packing the last few items into her suitcase, "I presented my points in a fair, logical manner. They really had no choice but approval, since my thoughts were clearly thought out and practical."

"More like you're their fucking favorite!" Paige said, tossing her pillow at her.

Hermione giggled. "OK, that might have a little to do with it." She zipped up her suitcase and looked at her watch.

"It's six o'clock. I'm leaving in a half an hour," she said, flopping down on Paige's bed.

"How long are you going for?" Paige asked.

"Just the weekend. I'll be staying there tonight, Saturday night, then going home on Sunday," Hermione responded. "And yes, before you ask, we will be required to sleep in different bedrooms, and we will be supervised. One of the portraits in his house has a portrait here, too."

"Bummer. And Draco doesn't know you're coming?" Paige asked. "Just to warn you, he doesn't really like surprises."

"I know. That's part of the fun," Hermione said. She gave her friend a hug and stood up. "Alrighty, it's time for me to go. I've got to say goodbye to Harry and Ron, too."

Paige stood up. "I'll walk you to Dumbledore's office."

They walked down the girls dormitory stairs and into the Common Room. Harry and Ron were playing Wizard Chess. She walked over to them.

"Alright, guys, I'm leaving. Will you be able to get all your homework done?" Hermione asked.

Ron winced. "How late are you coming back on Sunday, again?"

"Too late. It'd better be done!" she said, standing up. They both stood up and gave her a hug. Ron took her suitcase, and they started towards Dumbledore's office.

"So are you guys just going to spend all weekend...ahem, getting it on?" Ron asked, blushing slightly.

"They most certainly will not be!" a stern, female voice responded. They all whirled around, looking for McGonagall. "Over here!" They turned to see a portrait of an old woman, wearing a green and black velvet dress. white hair done up into a tight bun.

"Malfoy's great-grandmother. She was the school nurse here," Hermione muttered.

"That's right. And they will spend their time studying, and sleep in seperate rooms. Do not underestimate me, lass!" she said, puffing up.

"Alright, Great Grandmother Malfoy. You haven't told him that I'm coming, right?" Hermione asked.

"No. I'm on strict orders from Dumbledore."

Hermione smiled. "Good."

* * *

"Bye, guys!" Hermione said. They all waved as she stepped into the fire, shouting "Malfoy Manor!"

She fell forward and caught herself before falling onto a cold, white, marble floor. She 'phew'ed and pushed her hair back out of her face. She looked around.

All around her were signs of enormous wealth and unlived-in-ness. Everything was just so, in place perfectly. Platinum statues, old portraits, vases, marble everywhere. It was a bit scary. She decided to do some redecorating soon. If Malfoy expected her to live here with him--

Wait. Getting ahead of myself, aren't I?

She blushed and moved on.

She walked up the grand staircase-marble, of course. She asked on of the portraits where Draco's room was. The man in the extravagent powdered wig and velvet green suit pointed her in the right direction, with the commandment "Twelve doors."

Hermione walked down the hallway quietly, counting the doors. Upon reaching the twelfth, she set down her suitcase silently and placed her hand on the doorknob. She pressed her ear against the door. Music. So, this was Draco's room.

On the count of three, she threw the door open and walked in, yelling "HI!"

Draco jerked his head around, eyes wide, and he stuffed a magazine under his bed. She heard a zip and went red, trying not to laugh.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he yelled. She took a couple of steps back. He frowned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell. But seriously, what are you doing here?"

"I...I'm...here to help you with your studies?" she gulped, taking another step back. He walked around the bed and put his arms around her waist, pulling her to him.

"I'm sorry. I was just surprised," he said soothingly. He pulled her into his room, shutting the door and sitting down on his bed. "Care to explain?"

"I...uh, explained to Dumbledore all the reasons you should have a tutor, uh, and why I would be the best person for the job. He agreed, and we arranged for me to come here. But I wanted to...um, surprise you?"

Draco laughed. "I think that's the most 'uh's I've ever heard you use in one sentence."

She went red. Then she remembered something. "Are you ready to laugh about what you were doing when I came in here, yet?"

Draco glared. "No! But, I am ready to re-enact it," he said, kissing her and pushing her back against the bed. About two minutes later, as his hand was just undoing her bra, Hermione was rudely reminded of the condition Dumbledore had set.

"STOP!" Great Grandmother Malfoy yelled angrily, her glasses flying askew.

Draco jerked up, looking around. "What the fuck was that?"

Hermione grinned sheepishly. "Um, I forgot to tell you about the condition Dumbledore set..." she gestured toward his Great Grandmother.

Draco understood. "Ahh. So, I take it you won't be sleeping in here?"

"Or foreplay of anysort, Draco," his Great Grandmother, who we will now call Irma, said. "You may, kiss, but only decent kissing, none of that tongue stuff you children insist on doing."

"But Great Grandmother..." Draco whined.

She shook her head sternly.

"Well, what if someday soon here, Hermione and I are married, and we live here? Will you still watch us like a guard-dog then?" he asked, grinning at Hermione, who's breath had caught in her throat. What was he saying?

"Yes, I certainly will! The act you're speaking of is solely to create children, and the other stuff you do is utterly useless. I will permit it only in the act of procreation, as--"

"I guess I'll just have to have you removed, then," Draco cut her off, leaning back and examining his fingernails.

Irma huffed indignantly. "You wouldn't dare! You insolent child, insulting me like that, getting suspended from school, cavorting with a mudblood--"

Draco reared up and rattled the portrait Irma was occupying's frame. The other occupants fled, but Irma stayed, glaring at her great grandson. "You crazy old wench, you take that back and get the fuck out of my room, or I'll have you removed right fucking now!"

Irma stayed silent. "Apologize, you fucking insane old hag!"

Irma glared at him, muttered an apology to Hermione, and walked slowly from the room. "Don't think for a second," she shouted from the portrait nearest the door, "that this means I won't be doing my job, or I will go down without a fight, or that I won't do my best to not let you marry her!"

Draco flipped her off and she left the room. He turned to Hermione, and sat down on the bed next to her. He rubbed her back gently. He started to apologize.

"No, stop. You didn't say it," she said.

"That lady is my family, and she should accept what I do. But she doesn't, and that's her loss. I'll be having her removed as soon as you're back at Hogwarts. She won't get in the way of anything I want to do, or anything you want to do, I promise you that."

"Are you sure having her removed would be smart? Then I probably won't be able to come back," Hermione said.

"That bitch was rude to you and I'll sleep easier after doing something about it. I've only got three more weeks here, until winter break. Then it's two more weeks and I'll be back at school."

"That seems like such a long time, five weeks!" Hermione said, leaning into him.

"It is, but--hey, why don't you come here over Christmas break? If you would invite my friends, too, then you could invite yours."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Really? You'd let them come?"

Draco shrugged. "It'd make you happy, so why not?" He kissed her lightly.

She smiled as he pulled away. "Thank you...and thank you for defending me to your Great Grandmother. You didn't have to do that."

"Yes I did. I love you, and if she isn't ok with that, then I'm not ok with her being a part of my family anymore. No one has the right to be rude to you, especially not people I'm associated with. Or they'll have to deal with me."

"Um...what you said about...like when...um...about us...being..."

"Oh, the married bit...yeah, I got a bit ahead of myself. I'm sorry. Did that make you...uncomfortable, or anything?" he asked, a bit nervously.

"No," she said, "it made me more comfortable than I've felt in a long time."

* * *

**Blehh, so fluffy, I know. Kill me.**

**But review first:)**


	22. Indefinite

Hello!!

Oh my word, if you're reading this you're among the small group of people that mean a lot to me. I honestly value your faith in me more than you could imagine.

Unfortunately, I've been trying to write another chapter for this for a long time, and I really just can't seem to find any inspiration.

In case you hadn't already gathered, this story is on an indefinite hiatus.

That is, unless one of you wants to take over? I've thought this over many times, and as sad as I would be to give my baby away like this, I really feel I've lost my grip on this story. I really don't have a good handle of my characters, and I don't have a direction in which I want to take it.

So, if you'd like to continue on from where I've left off, please feel free to do so. I'd be much obliged if you did, and if you do, could you perhaps let me know first?

Thank you so much for all of your time and effort, and any reviewing you may have done! It was and is greatly apprectiated.

With love,

Soggy


End file.
